
&\ U .** *'AWa\ ^ .«,** •*&&*• ** ** .- 



\ 






iO' 










































V 




VICINITY. 



1781-1881. 



Compiled by E. Norman Leslie. 



PUBLISHED BY 

CHAS. P. CORNELL, 

AUBURN, N. Y, 






PRESS OF MESSRS. KNAPP & PECK, 

AUBURN, N. Y., 

Publishers of Daily Advertiser and Auburn Journai 



PREFACE 



THIS work has been executed from a desire 
to inform the citizens of Skaneateles and 
Vicinity, of the present day, of the historical events 
occurring in the last century. It . has been a 
subject of much attention and study for a few 
years past, by Mr. E. N. Leslie, who has been to 
much trouble and expense, collecting the facts and 
incidents herein published. Much credit is due him 
for the same. 



History of Skaneateles. 



IT will be appropriate in writing the History of 
Skaneateles, to begin at the earliest period, 
consequently we will commence with the compara- 
tively short limit of one hundred years ago, 1781. 
At that time, the place where are now situated our 
pleasant homes, our shady and broad avenues, our 
marts of business and manufacturing, our schools, 
these fertile farms and all the accessories of civil- 
ization, was a dense and almost impenetrable forest 
filled with underbrush, without a white resident, 
within, perhaps, a hundred miles. Indian trails along 
the lake shore, and the locality only now and then 
visited by hunters and trappers. 

One hundred years is but a short limit of time ; a 
number of our own population have nearly reached 
the age of one hundred years. The Egyptian obelisk, 



8 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 

of which we are all familiar, now erected in New 
York, is 3,500 years old ; it is by comparisons that 
we can perceive the limited space of one hundred 
years. 

At the commencement of the Revolutionary war, 
in 1776, Congress offered a bounty to the officers and 
soldiers who should enlist and serve during the war, 
of both money and land. At the close of the war, 
in 1783, the Legislature of the State of New York, 
took action with regard to these promised bounty 
lands, not only with a view of discharging the 
aforesaid engagement of Congress, but, in consider- 
ation of the virtue and patriotism of the troops of 
New York, to add thereto a large gratuity of State 
lands. 

As a consequence the Legislature passed an 
act defining the ratio of lands to be given to each 
private and to officers of each grade. There are 
two kinds of granted lands, one called gratuity, and 
the other bounty. By an act passed February 28, 
1789, the Surveyor General was directed to lay out- 
the tracts of land, which are now known as " the 



HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 9 

military lots." On the ist of January, 1791, the 
Commissioners of the Land Office proceeded to 
determine claims and to ballot for each individual's 
share. From that time soldiers began to sell their 
bounty lands, and even before that date they sold 
their claims to any one who wished to purchase, and 
it is a singular fact that soldiers would sell their 
claims over and over again to whoever would make 
an offer for them. Our county records, made at an 
early day, show many owners of each military lot in 
this town. In consequence, the courts became 
overflowed with business, relating to these contested 
-claims, scarcely a lot in the whole military tract, 
but became more or less a subject of litigation. Final- 
ly the Legislature passed a law, appointing a Board of 
Commissioners with full power to hear, examine, 
award and determine all disputes respecting the titles 
to any and all the military bounty lands. The 
action of this Board prevented further litigation and 
the real owners were placed in quiet possession of 
their lands. 



IO HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 

HOW THE PIONEERS CAME. 

From the time of the survey of the military lots 
in 1794, the tide of emigration from the eastern 
section of this State, and from the New England 
States began to flow to this part of the State. Usu- 
ally, pioneers came in the summer and fall, on foot 
and on horseback, prospecting in search of homes. 
But winter was most propitious for the removal of 
their families and goods. The snows of winter were 
distributed evenly over the ground, and laid per- 
manently protected from drifts by the dense forests. 
The long winters gave ample time for the journeys, 
which were often interrupted by impassible streams 
and thaws. This was fortunate for emigration at 
that early period, as the highway during the summer 
season was so much obstructed by roots and stumps 
as to render traveling very difficult in conveyances 
on wheels. There were no four wheeled wagons in 
those days. Two wheeled vehicles were only used. 

For many years there was to be seen on the 
Genesee road in the winter season, an almost unbrok- 



HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. I I 

en procession of loads of people with goods, drawn 
either by oxen or horses, accompanied by herds of 
cattle and cows to settle this great wilderness. In 
1803, the Seneca Turnpike was chartered, and soon 
after it was laid out six rods wide, the trees being 
cut away to the whole width, and the roadway thrown 
up in the centre to get the benefit of the sun's rays, 
and render the road as dry as possible. This road 
extended from Utica to Canandaigua, and was a 
continuation of the Mohawk Turnpike, thus affording 
a regular turnpike communication from Albany to 
Canandaigua. There was a great tide of emigration 
which came over this road, destined to the western 
part of this State, and to the Western Reserve in 
Ohio. 

The Genesee country, in the western part of the 
State, was settled previously to this, and there hav- 
ing been no roads through the State, the emigration 
to it was by water up the Mohawk, through Oneida 
Lake and River, and up the Seneca River and Lake. 
On the completion of the turnpike, the travel 
westward passed wholly through this place. About 



12 HISTORY OF SKA*NEATELES. 

the year 1800 merchandise was transported in large 
covered wagons, drawn by four horses. 

The town of Marcellus is one of the original 
townships in the military tract, that consisted of 
lands which were assigned by the State of New York 
to the Revolutionary soldiers of the New York line 
as premiums or bounty lands. A lot one mile square 
was given to each soldier, except a certain portion 
which was reserved to defray the expenses of survey- 
ing and other contingencies. The names assigned 
to the townships, were selected by the Surveyor- 
General DeWitt, and officers of the Government 
before any settlements were made. This accounts 
for the singularity of the names, which were taken 
principally from distingushed men of ancient Greece 
and Rome. Some of them were distinguished as 
poets, orators, statesmen, and some as military com- 
manders ; a few were taken from prominent literary 
men of England, as Dryden, Milton and Locke. 

The townships of the military tract were equal to 
ten miles square, and were divided by surveys into ' 
one hundred lots, one mile square. 



HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 1 3 

Settlements once made, prepared the way for ac- 
cessions, and accordingly we find that the population 
increased rapidly from year to year by the constantly 
incoming tide of emigration from the east. 

At the time this part of the country was settled, 
our fathers were groping in almost utter darkness, so 
far as a knowledge of the sciences was concerned, and 
but little progress had been made in invention and 
the arts ; scarcely one of the modern contrivances 
for cooking, and for warming and lighting dwellings 
was known. Not a pound of coal had been burned 
in the country. Not any iron stoves were used, 
and no contrivances for economizing heat were em- 
ployed. Ail cooking and warming was clone by the 
aid of fire, kindled upon the stone hearth or the oven. 
Pine knots, instead of tallow candles, furnished the 
light for the long winter evenings, and bare floors 
supplied the place of rugs and carpets. The water 
used for household purposes was drawn from deep 
wells by a creaking " sweep." No form of pump 
was used in this part of the country, so far as can be 
learned, until after the commencement of the present 



14 HISTORY OF SKAXEATEI.ES. 

century. There were no friction matches in those 
days, by the aid of which a fire could be speedily 
kindled. And if the fire went out upon the hearth 
over night, and the tinder was damp, so that the spark 
would not "catch," the alternative remained of wading 
through the snow a mile or so, to borrow a brand of 
a neighbor. Only one room in any house was 
warmed, (unless some of the family were ill) ; in all 
the rest, the temperature was at zero during many 
nights in winter ; the men and women of those days 
undressed and retired to their beds at night, in an 
atmosphere colder than that of our modern barns and 
wood sheds, and they never complained. No hot 
air furnaces tempered the wintery air in their dwellings, 
and they slept soundly in the cold. The cooking 
was very simple ; the nature of the food plain and 
substantial. But few dishes were seen upon the 
table ; pork and cabbage, corn bread and milk, with 
bean porridge and potatoes, were about the usual 
forms of food consumed. 



ARLY riONEERS 



THE first settler of which we have an)' account, 
was John Thompson. He located on military 
lot No. 1 8 ; his deed, as recorded in the Count)' Clerk's 
office, is dated 1794, Abraham Hardenburgh to John 
Thompson, of the town of Mexico, Herkimer county. 
The consideration, his services while employed in as- 
certaining the jurisdiction line between the States of 
New York and Pennsylvania, and since during three 
successive summers, employed in surveying the Mili- 
tary Lands, as well as in consideration of five shillings 
lawful money of the State of New York. Fifty 
acres. 

Abraham A. Cuddeback came here from the town 
of Minnisink, Orange county. New York. He started 
from there on the 2d of May, 1794, in a wagon with 
three yoke of cattle, one two-year-old colt and twelve 



1 6 HISTORY OF SKAXKATKI.ES. 

cows. He brought with them his wife and eight 
children, and came by the way of Albany, and was for- 
ty-three days on the road, arriving here June 14th, 
1794. Where Utica now is, there were only two 
buildings, and between there and Onondaga Hill, 
there were no houses. When he arrived here, there 
were no houses or log cabins, within the locality 
where the village is now situated. The forest on the 
lake shore was so impenetrable for teams and cattle, 
that he had to construct a raft from the mouth of the 
outlet, in order to get his effects and family to his 
destination on the west shore of the lake. His place 
is now ornamented with the beautiful residence of 
Dr. S. Hurd. The east end of the old barn, 
which was taken down by the order of Dr. Hurd, a 
year or two ago, was erected by Mr. Cuddeback, and 
was the first frame building put up in this town. 
When Cuddeback and his family arrived here, there 
were five wigwams occupied by Indians, located at 
the spring where C. W. Allis erected his house some 
years ago, and which is now owned by John M. Nye. 
The first four years, the settlers had to carry their 



HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. \J 

grain to a mill, where Utica is now situated, to be 
ground. The first mill in this vicinity, was built at 
Onondaga Valley, in 1798. The first wheat raised 
by Mr. Cuddeback, in 1796 and '97, he carried to 
Albany. Among other necessaries needed by him 
was nails, so he traded part of his wheat to 
procure them — a bushel of wheat for a pound of 
nails. Mr. Cuddeback died, October 22, 1831, aged 
73 years ; he was a descendant of the Huguenots, 
who originally settled in Orange county. 

Another early settler, was Col. Elijah Bowen, who 
with his family located on the farm, now owned by 
C. C. Wyckoff, as early as 1794. Col. Bowen had a 
brother, whose name was Benajah, who lived on the 
farm next east of Mr. Rickard's. The log houses 
owned by these two brothers, were the only ones in 
that vicinity, and the road leading to them, was for a 
long time called the " Bowen Road." Col. Bowen 
was afterwards a soldier of the war of 1812. He died 
in Wisconsin, January 5, 1861, aged 81 years. (It is 
very doubtful whether Col. Bowen came here as ear- 
ly as "94, as he was only 14 years old at that date. 



18 HISTORY OF SKANEA TELES. 

A very unlikely age to take up land and erect a log 
house.) It has been found that elderly gentlemen 
are very deficient in the matter of naming a specific 
date of early occurrences. There were really no 
other pioneers, except, perhaps, Cuddeback and 
Thompson, who came here as early as 1794, as the 
titles of the military lots were not secure, and no ac- 
tion had been taken by the Legislature to correct this 
state of affairs, until January, 1794, and the Board of 
Commissioners who were empowered to determine the 
true ownership, were not appointed until 1797. 
John Thompson acquired his title through the Sur- 
veyor-General, and Mr. Cuddeback through the same 
undisputed source. 

Bethuel Cole came into this part of the country 
in 1794. He was both a farmer and blacksmith. 
Cole lived about a mile west of the " Red House," 
on a path through the woods which led to Harden- 
burgh's Corners. This same path now constitutes 
the north road to Auburn from Willow Glen. He 
had a son by the name of Elijah, who settled on 
what is now known as the Community farm. He after 






history of skaneateles. 19 

wards moved further north on the edge of the town 
of Eibridge, where he died. 

In the year 1794, John Shepard and Zalmon 
Terrell, brother-in-law of John Shepard, came from 
the town or Newton, Fairfield county, Conn., and 
settled in what is now known as the " Shepard 
Settlement." Terrell bought one hundred acres 
from Gould Steel, on military lot No. 5. They put 
up a house, as they called it then, of logs, and split 
basswood for the floor, and shingled it with " shucks," 
as they called them, that is, oak rived out like staves 
three feet long, and laid on ribs. They had a blanket 
for a window, and the door was so constructed as 
to enable them to draw in back-logs with a horse. 
They cleared off a few acres and planted it to corn, 
and when hoeing, Nathan Kelsey came down and 
said to them, tk it seems to me that you are digging 
your potatoes pretty early ;" he having mistaken the 
round gravel stones for potatoes, with which the 
ground was filled. 

The next winter Terrell went east and brought 
back his wife and family, and in 1796, John Shepard 



20 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 

bought one hundred acres of land on lot No. 12, and 
was married the same year. He went out across 
Cayuga Lake with an ox team and sled after wheat, 
and on his return, when coming across the lake, his 
team broke through the ice, and his wheat got wet. 
He came as far as Hardenburgh's Corners. There 
was then a mill at Clarksville, where he left his grist, 
and the miller agreed to dry the wheat, but when 
he went after it, the miller had not done anything 
with it, in consequence of which his family had to 
live on musty bread that year. He had built hiirp 
a house on his land, and one morning just before day 
break, he heard his hog squeal out in the woods ; he 
ran to the door, and his hog was but a little ways off. 
Instead of taking his gun, he caught up a pitchfork 
that was standing close by, and ran towards the hog, 
when he found an old bear with it, gnawing it on the 
shoulder. He threw the fork at the bear, whether it 
hit him or not, he did not stay to see, for the bear 
left the hog and took after him. He ran and 
climbed up a tree, and then began to halloo, and 
Terrell soon heard him, and ran out there, but there 



HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 21 

was no bear to be seen, but they got up the story 
that when Terrell got there, instead of being up a 
tree, Shepard sat on the ground, clasping the tree 
for fear he would fall. 

His first child was born July 4th, 1798, who has 
since been known as Major Shepard — the Gazeteer 
states that Stephen Zoles was the first child born, but 
Major was more than a year older than Stephen. 
Three other brothers and a sister came, and they all 
had large families. There are none left but Edward 
Shepard and his family. 

Jacob Annis came from Orange count}-, in 1795, 
and settled on the land now known as the Lapham 
place, on the west side of the lake. In 1806, he 
kept a tavern at this same place. He acquired his 
title from Simeon DeWitt, Surveyor-General of the 
State. Annis was related by marriage with the 
DeWitt family. 

William Clift came from Vermont, in the year 
1795, in the month of March, when there was not 
a house where this village is now situated, and but 
one at Hardenburgh's Corners, (now Auburn.) He 



22 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 

settled with his father, on the same farm which 
he occupied at the time of his death, having lived 
more than sixty-seven years on the same premises, 
Gift's Corners. He died in Sennett, October 18th, 
1862, aged eighty-four years. 

James Ennis and his wife, occupied part of the 
Moses DeWill farm, on the west shore of the lake in 
1795, being part of lots Nos. 35 and 37. 

Timothy Coleman and his wife, had a portion of 
the above premises in their possession in the same 
year. 

General Robert Earll left Whitehall, Washington 
county, N. Y., January, 1794, and came to Onondaga 
Hollow; he lived there one year, and came to this 
place in January, 1796. Earll built a log house, on 
the site of the frame house, now occupied by Win. 
Samuels, at Willow Glen. 

Nehemiah H. PLarll was born in Whitehall, Wash- 
ington county, N. V., October 5th, 1787, and ac- 
companied his father, General Robert Earll, to this 
place, January 1796. Daniel Watson and Nehemiah 
were bovs of about the same a^e. (Watson's father 



HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 23 

with his family accompanied General Karll from 
Whitehall. These boys were constant companions, 
one of their early exploits, was to dig up a bark ca- 
noe from the debris, on the bank of the lake, near 
the mouth of the outlet. 

Nehemiah went to study law with Daniel Kel- 
logg, in the spring of 1805. Among other students 
who associated with him at this time, were William 
Price and David Hyde. The former was a son of 
Judge Price of Owasco, and was the smartest young 
man in the office ; he afterwards became intemperate 
and turned out poorly. 

It is believed that the first white child born in 
this place, was the late Charles Pardee, who was 
born in the year of 1796, and died April, 1878, thus 
making him about %2 years of age. Mr. P., during 
his day was one of the most active business men in 
this vicinity. 

John Briggs came here in I796from where Owasco 
is now situated. Briggs at one time held the office 
of Justice of the Peace. 

Sabin Elliot was the first settler in what is now 



24 history of skaneatei.es. 

known as Mottville, and was a squatter on land be- 
longing to the Schenectady College. Elliot was also 
a laborer and a whiskey drinker — died poor. 

About 1798, Warren Hecox came to this place, 
and the following tale is said to have been related 
by him : 

" In 1799, there was an uncommon scarcity of 
grain, and I had to send to Scipio, twenty miles, and 
pay $2.50 for one bushel of wheat. I could only 
raise money enough to purchase a single bushel at a 
time. I hired a horse at fifty cents a clay, and sent 
a boy eighteen miles to Montville, in Sempronius, to 
get the bushel ground which took two days ; the 
mills at Auburn and Camillus having stopped run- 
ning on account of the draught of that season." 

Many of his neighbors were in a worse perdica- 
ment, for they could get neither money or wheat. 

Nathan Kelsey resided in these parts about the 
year 1798. 

The region of Thorn Hill was first settled in 1799. 
David Earll, Eleazer Burns, Nathan Turner and 
John Wiltsie arrived there on the 1st day of March 



HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 25 

in that year. They removed in company from 
Washington county in sleighs. 

Benjamin Gumear, came from Orange county to 
this locality in 1799, and settled on the farm now- 
owned by Obadiah Thorne. Benjamin was a father 
of the late Harvey Gumear of this place. 

Jesse Kellogg was born in Hartford, Conn., in 
1758. In the year 1800 he came to this village and 
bought the mills, and in 1807 he removed on to the 
farm now owned by Obadiah Thorne. He after- 
wards purchased the Loomis farm, on east hill, near 
Marcellus, where he resided until his death, in 181 1. 

Col. Dorastus Lawrence came here from Vermont, 
in the year 1801. He was one of the pioneers in this 
section of the country, and w r as more or less identi- 
fied with the early history and business of Onondaga 
county. During the war of '12, he was captain 
of the militia company, which comprised both Skan- 
eateles and Marcellus, and marched with it to repel 
the British at Oswego. Lawrence died February 
nth, '62, in the seventy-sixth year of his age. 



26 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES, 

Peter E. Gumear and James Ennes came here 
about the first year of this century. 

In 1803, Moses Loss and his family, lived in a 
new small one story frame house, on the lot now- 
owned by John Kellogg. A log house stood in the 
rear of this house, and Sylvester Roberts, a black- 
smith, lived in it. 

David Seymour and wife, settled on one hundred 
acres, in millitary lot No. 37, on the west shore of 
the lake in 1804. In the same year he sold fifty 
acres to Stephen Gardner. Mr. Seymour was a 
shoemaker by trade, and Col. Hecox learned his 
trade from him. He also had a brick kiln on 
his place. 

Isaac Mills, settled on lot No. 61, in Marcellus, in 
the month of May, 1803. He, accompanied by his 
wife and daughter, came from Stillwater, Saratoga 
county. Timothy Mills, his son, now lives on the 
same farm. 

Daniel Kellogg became a resident of this village, 
in the spring of 1803. He was born in Williamstown, 
Mass., April 19th, 1780. After spending two years 



HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 27 

as a student in Williams College, he studied law in 
the office of Abraham Van Vechten, of Albany, and 
was admitted at the bar, October, 1800. and the next 
year he began the practice of law at Auburn, then a 
hamlet of only a few scattering houses. In 1802, he 
was married in that place to Laura Hyde, and in the 
following year he removed to this village. Kello<>-<>- 
soon became famous, both as a lawyer and financer, 
and in the year of '13 he was appointed District-At- 
torney for the counties of Onondaga, Cayuga, 
Chenango and Cortland, and discharged the duties 
of the office with signal ability for three years. 
Elected President of the Bank of Auburn, in '18 ; he 
held this important financial station until his death, 
which occurred May 4th, '36. 

Kellogg's gardner was an Englishman, and was 
celebrated for his early vegetables, which were forced 
under glass. He was the only one who raised early 
stock and his garden was the resort of all who were 
curious in such matters. 

Elijah Parsons, father of Moses and John Par- 
sons, came to this place from Northampton, Mass.. 



28 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 

in 1805. He died October 26th, '62, at the age of 
eighty-three years. 

Nathan Miller, was born in Cherry Valley, Otsego 
county, March 29th, 1796, and came to this place in 
February, 1807. Miller was a harness maker by 
trade. He died in this village, March 16th, '75. 

Ambrose Hecox, was born in Massachusetts, came 
to Scipio, Cayuga county, in 1802, and resided there 
until 18 12, when he came here. He purchased a two 
acre lot in the village, from Sylvester Roberts, and 
soon after built a house in which he commenced bus- 
iness for the manufacture of chairs, furniture and 
sleighs, but his principal business was the former. 
He made all the chairs used in this section of the 
country in a circuit of fifty miles. All the newly 
married people procured their furniture from him. 
His business at one time was very extensive, and 
comprised repairs of all kinds. About the year of 
'17, Daniel Kellogg sent his splendid family carriage, 
(which at that time was the only fine vehicle in this 
part of the country), to Hecox to be repaired, and 
while there it was inspected by all the school 



history of skaneateles. 29 

children, who looked upon it as being something un- 
usually grand. When Augustus Kellogg brought his 
bride home, they were driven in grand style to and 
from the Presbyterian church in this carriage. Of 
course, a sensation was produced among the plebian 
members of the congregation. This same antiquated 
coach, is now stored in one of the barns of the old 
Kellogg place. 

Hecox died in Gibson, Steuben county, September 
27th, '6o, aged eighty years. 

Buttler S. Wolcott came to this place from Onei- 
da county, in 1824 and in '25 commenced his business 
life as clerk to Phares Gould. This store was on the 
north side of Genesee street, next west to where Mrs. 
Wheeler now resides. He remained with Mr. Gould 
two or three years. He went into business in 1832 
with Dr. Samuel Porter, under the firm name of K. 
S. Wolcott & Co., and afterward dissolved and 
formed a partnership with Mr. J. Gordon Porter un- 
der the same firm name. In '37 he took in as part- 
ner Lorenzo Carter. This connection not being 
genial, the partnership was again dissolved and he 



30 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 

continued in business individually. The store he oc- 
cupied was frame and situated near the middle of 
the present row of stores. He held the office of 
Deputy Sheriff after his connection with Dr. Samuel 
Porter. In the year '48 he removed to Gibson, Stu- 
ben county, and built a steam saw mill and continued 
to reside there until his death. April 19th, 1855, he 
went out gunning in the morning of that day and 
while in the woods was attacked with heart difficulty 
and lay down on the ground until a neighbor came 
along in a carriage. He was assisted into the vehi- 
cle and before reaching home was so distressed that 
he could ride no further and from thence was carried 
home in a litter about 3 o'clock P. M., and died the 
same day at 9 P. M. 



Early Industries 



LTNDER this head the reader will find a list of 
' the Early Industries in this locality. 

Judge Jedediah Sanger erected the first grist and 
saw mills at the outlet of the lake, in 1796. 

The first tannery in this locality was established 
by Gen. Robert Earll, in 1799. It was located on 
Skaneateles Creek, south of the present site of the 
factory at Willow Glen. 

Mr. Earll also carried on shoemaking about 1797, 
and as his business increased in this line he em- 
ployed many journeymen at the trade, he was the 
first shoemaker hereabouts. 

The first dam across the outlet was constructed 
by General Robert Earll, at what is now known as 
Willow Glen, Mr. Earll erected a saw mill and a 



32 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 

grist mill there ; this was before Sanger built the 
mill dam here. 

Dr. Hall is on record as one of the first physicians 
in this village, as early as 1796. In "97 appeared Dr. 
Munger and Dr. Samuel Porter. Dr. Porter prac- 
tised here forty or more years and died. He was 
possessed of wonderful energy and acquired quite a 
name as a surgeon. Probably no physician at that 
day had a larger ride than Dr. Porter. 

The first tavern that we know anything about, in 
this place, was one that was kept by Lovell Gibbs, 
about 1797, and was constructed of logs. We can 
not state where this building was located. 

Robert and Jonas Earll built the first distillery, 
near where Watson built his house, on -the road lead- 
ing from the Red House to the outlet, a few rods 
east and a little north of the Watson house. This 
was about the year 1800. The grain used was about 
six bushels a day, and as fast as it could be distilled 
it was sold at seventy-five cents a gallon. It yielded 
about two gallons to a bushel of wheat, which was 
considered a good yield in those days. 



HISTORY OF SKANEATEI.ES. 33 

The first bridge was built by the Seneca Road 
Company in 1 800. It was 24 rods long by 24 feet 
wide, and stood upon 14 posts. When it was re- 
built the second time, in '42, its length was re- 
duced to 24 feet. The iron bridge spanning the 
outlet at present was erected by the State in '71 by 
a special act of the Legislature. 

Tailoring was carried on in 1803, D >' a man D >' the 
name of O'Keefe and his son, who resided near the 
large elm tree, (now in the rear of George Barrow's 
house.) O'Keefe was the first in that business. 

A man by the name of Thomas Greeves, was also 
a tailor in this place about this time. 

The first store in this town was owned by Winston 
Day in 1803, who built a house of basswood split 
slabs, on military lot No. 2J, when he first came into 
this locality, and sold goods in this building before 
he built the store on the Lake House Lot. Day's 
first store was located on the same place which John 
S. Furman afterwards purchased, north o\ where F. 
G. Weeks now resides. 



34 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 

Henry Danforth succeeded Winston Day on the 
Lake House site as a merchant, and afterwards went 
to Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. 

Soon after 1803, Norman Leonard established 
himself as a merchant, and his store was on the 
north side of Genesee street. 

John Meeker afterwards opened a store here, and 
Phares Gould was his confidential clerk. John had 
several stores in other parts of the county, having 
confidential clerks in all of them, while he devoted 
his time to purchasing goods for the supply of his 
different establishments, and in a general supervision 
of them all. 

Phares Gould afterward opened a store on his 
own account, and Stephen Horton was his clerk. 

A man by the name of Sabin was the first black- 
smith in this village ; he had a shop built of logs, 
which was located thirty rods east of Julius Earll's 
house. Sabin was intemperate and as a consequence, 
poor. Afterwards he sold out his shop to John 
Legg, who first worked there in 1804, soon after his 



HISTORY OF SKANEATELESi 35 

arrival in this part of the country. Legg lived in a 
small house, where Thomas Y. Avery now lives. 

Judge Sanger owned an ashery on the lake shore, 
on the present James E. Porter place. The lake 
shore, where the brick stores now stand, was then a 
grove of forest trees. Stumps of trees peered in the 
water for some considerable distance out in the 
lake. 

The first carpenter that we have any knowledge 
of was a man by the name of Lusk, he framed and 
built the frame building known as the "Red House." 
Most of the frame buildings which were erected in 
early times were painted red. Lusk also framed and 
built the first barn, and afterwards returned to 
Whitestown, from which he originally came. 

Isaac Selover, was also one of the most noted 
carpenters in this vicinity, he lived in an unpainted 
frame house on the site where Dr. Campbell now 
resides. Afterwards he built a small frame dwelling 
on the rear of the same lot. 

The Post Ofifice was established in this place in 
the year of 1804, and the first post-master was Wm. 



$6 HISTORY OF SKANEATKLES. 

J. Vredenburg, and his successors were John Ten 
Eyke, and Charles J. Burnett ; the latter held this 
position for twenty-six years. 

The following is a list of the names, locations and 
occupations of those who lived here and in this vi- 
cinity seventy-five years ago — 1806. The names 
were taken from an old ledger, which was kept by 
one of the merchants doing business here in that 
year, and the location of each was furnished by the 
late Nathaniel Miller. 

Aaron Austin, farmer and clothier, on the Frank 
Austin farm. 

Robert Aldridge, farmer, lived near Col. Clark's. 

Ashahel Amidon, farmer, Otisco Valley. 

James F. Brinkerhoff, farmer, Otisco. 

Jeptha Baker, farmer, near Marcellus. 

J ether Bailey, farmer, on the Colvin farm. 

Richard Berry, farmer, on J. L. Mason's farm. 

Elijah Bowen, on C. C. Wyckoffs place. 

Elijah Bowen, Jr., farmer, at Hall's Corners, 
Marcellus. 

John Benscotir, lived near Benson's, on lot No. 84. 



HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 37 

Luke Brinkerhoff, farmer, lived in Niles. 

Eli Barnes, miller, and was employed by \Y. J. 
Vredenburg in his mill. 

John Burns, farmer, resided on the farm now oc- 
cupied by Fred Kidder. 

Eleazer Burns, farmer, in the town of Marcellus, 
and lived on the place now owned by John Burns, jr. 

Amos Bacon, farmer, in Sennett on the county 
line road. 

Silas Bascomb, farmer, lived opposite of Thomas 
Bradford. 

Benajah Bowen, farmer, resided near where C. C. 
Wyckoff now lives. 

Aaron Bailey, farmer, next to the Jas. Morse farm. 

Rufus Bacon, farmer, near Sennett. 

John Bailey, farmer, on the Joseph Bassett farm. 

Samuel Benedict, physician, lived on the Jesse 
Simmon place. 

Peter Benedict, miller, and brother of Samuel ; 
he and a nephew of his were killed at Black Rock by 
the British, during the war of 181 2. 

John Bristol, potash boiler for Winston Day. 



38 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 

James Burroughs, farmer, lived on the farm oppo- 
site. of the one now owned by John Joyce. 

John Brown, stage driver for Sherwood. 

Asa Bacon, jr., shoemaker and tanner. 

Daniel Briggs, farmer, and father to W. S. Briggs, 

William Burroughs, jr., drove stage for Sherwood. 

Samuel Briggs, farmer, lived west of Willow 
Glen on the old road. 

Wilhalmus Cortrite, farmer, on the Heman Ful- 
ton farm. 

Sylvester Cortrite, farmer, and father of the above 
and lived on the same farm. 

Samuel Chapman, farmer, lived near Clintonville. 

Joseph Cross, farmer, had a hair lip, and lived on 
a farm east of Compton's. 

Abraham Conklin, farmer, on the old road west 
of Willow Glen. 

Peter Cuddeback, second farmer on the David 
Cuddeback farm. 

Rodger Carpenter, on George Carpenter's place. 

Joshua Covel, farmer, on the Hasbrook farm. 

Samuel Conklin, farmer, near Borodino. 



HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 39 

Abraham A. Cuddeback, farmer, on Dr. Hurd's 
place. 

Owen Cotton, mill-wright, owned the Perry farm 
on the east shore road, ?nd is now living at Attica, 
at an advanced age. 

Amasa Chapman, farmer, on John Uncless' farm. 

Joseph Codey, farmer, and built the tavern at 
Clintonville. 

Timothy Copp, farmer at Thorn Hill. 

Sheldon Cook, farmer on west side of the lake. 

Wareham Cook, inventor of Cook's salve, lived 
on the Nathan Bond place. 

Eli Clark, farmer on Foster Clark's farm. 

Silas Crandal, tavern keeper opposite of Jacob 
Allen's farm. 

William Dascomb, kept the first tavern on 
the William Clark farm, and afterwards the old tav- 
ern in this village. 

Rowland Day, merchant and was clerk or partner 
of Norman Leonard in this place. 

Isaac Dean, farmer and laborer, he lived between 
Owasco and Niles and afterwards moved to Ohio. 



40 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 

Moses D. Dunning, clerk in Dascomb's tavern, 
afterwards he was clerk for John Legg, and was also 
constable at the same time. 

Asa Dexter, comb-maker or peddler with Cyrus 
Glass' father. 

Ira DeLong, farmer and lived on the north part 
of the Obadiah Thorne farm. 

Ebenezer Edwards, farmer and lived where John 
Dix no resides. 

Samuel Eggleston, farmer near the Wiltsie farm. 

David Earll, jr., farmer, lived on the Sheppard 
Earll farm. 

Thaddeus Edwards, farmer and lived on the Gale 
Farm. 

Nathaniel Eells, farmer and cooper on the Chas. 
Pardee place. 

John Fitzgerald, farmer and lived on the east side 
of the lake. 

Benjamin Frisby, chairmaker and painter and his 
shop was located in the rear of the old tavern. 

Hezekiah Gun, farmer and resided on Osmond 
Rhoades' farm. 



HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 41 

Thomas Greves, tailor, and was related to Dr. E. 
H. Porter. 

Isaac Granger, farmer on the Amos Pardee farm. 

Michael Gillett, farmer and also run a saw 
mill on the Shotwell farm. 

Edward Greenman, father of Samuel H. 

Amasa Gleason, painter, his shop was located on 
the present site of the engine house. 

David Granger, farmer on Parker Wright's place. 

James Geromomon, farmer, carpenter and joiner 
at Owasco. 

Abijah Gilbert, farmer and carpenter ; he learned 
his trade of Eliphalet Hoyt, and built Benson's first 
barn, near Holcombe Peck's. 

Daniel Gardner, farmer and lived on the west lake 
road. 

James Gardner, farmer on the Dor Austin farm. 

Benjamin Gumear, farmer and lived on Obadiah 
Thome's farm. 

Eliphalet Hoyt, was the first carpenter in Owasco. 

Seth Hall, carpenter and wagon maker ; he came 
here October 23, 1806. 



42 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 

Peter Howard, farmer at Owasco. 

Timothy Hatch, farmer and tavern keeper. 

Jonathan Hall, physician, and made a specialty 
of treating small-pox. 

Isaac Hodge, farmer west of Mandana, and next 
to Gleason's. 

Israel Hodge, farmer near Mandana. 

Simeon Hosmer, farmer on the old William Ful- 
ler farm. 

Asa Hatch, farmer on the late Warren Hatch's 
farm. 

Cyrus Hecox, brother of Col. Hecox. 

George Haines, laborer and worked for Norman 
Leonard. 

Judah Hopkins, physician. 

David Hall came here in the month of March 1806. 

Samuel Ingham, merchant and clerk for John 
Meeker. 

Henry Jones, constable. 

Elijah Jones, farmer and father of the above. 

Amos Jones, lived at Mandana. 

Bela Kingsley, farmer and uncle of J. A. Edwards. 



HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 43 

Amasa Kneeland, school-master, between Joab 
Gift's and this village. 

Asa Kneeland, joiner and carpenter. 

Jesse Kellogg, agent for Sanger, and father of 
Dorastus. 

Phineas Keith, tailor. 

Ezra Lee, farmer on John Gregory's place. 

Ezra Lane, school teacher. 

Timothy Miller, laborer. 

Elias Merrill, worked for Norman Leonard and 
died in 1812. 

Ishmael Moffett, farmer and lived on next farm 
south of Holcomb Peck. 

Daniel McKay, farmer and mason, lived on the 
Dr. Merrill place. 

Benjamin Nye, father of John M. Nye. 

Samuel Niles, teamster for Elnathan Andrews 
while he was building the old meeting house oppo- 
site the Pardee place, of which Andrews was the 
contractor. 

William Pratt, physician. 

Elijah Price, law student with Daniel Kellogg. 



44 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 

Alexander Price, brother of the above, and re- 
moved from here to Owasco, and afterwards to Ohio. 
Jerad Patchin, farmer and owned the George 
Gregory farm. 

Levi Pratt, lived at Alanson Edwards. 
Elijah Parsons, farmer. 

Thomas Read, farmer and lived near Mandana. 
William Rose, farmer and lived on military lots 
Nos. 35 and 37. 

Joseph Rhoades, farmer, OsmoVi Rhoades' father. 
Amasa Sessions, farmer on the Bradford farm. 
Peter Secoy, worked the Jerad Patchin's farm. 
Nathaniel Seymour, farmer on the east side of 
the lake. 

Briggs Shearman, farmer on the west side of the 
lake, and his farm was connected with the Bentley 
place. 

Phineas Stanton, farmer and lived up the lake. 
William Thomas, resided at Mottville. 
John Thompson, farmer and the first settler in 
this locality. 



HISTORY OF SKANFATELES. 45 

Daniel Veal, jr., farmer and lived west of Mott- 
ville on the town line. 

The following is a description of the village in 
1807, as described by the late Nathaniel Miller. 

" Winston Day, Norman Leonard, Jonathan 
Booth and John Meeker were the only merchants 
here. Samuel Ingham was the principal and confi- 
dential clerk for Meeker. Sylvester Roberts was 
then the only blacksmith, and his shop was situated 
where the Hatch house is now, on Onondaga street. 
This shop was afterwards removed to the opposite 
side of the street, lower down, and now forms the 
rear building of the Wildey house. The old meet- 
ing house was in process of construction, and the 
frame was not raised until July 3th, 1807. Moses 
Loss, Isaac Selover and Samuel Litherland were 
among those who assisted in the carpenter and join- 
er work. Thomas Greves was a tailor here at this 
time, and his shop was in the old yellow building, 
now known as the Slocum house. Col. Warren 
Hecox and Ezra Stephens were the only shoemakers. 
The latter was the first to introduce pegged shoes in 



46 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 

this place. Isaac Rawson was the only minister 
here when I arrived. There had been a missionary 
by the name of Bascomb here previously, and the 
religious services were then held in the old school 
house which was located nearly opposite what is now 
known as the Sommerset house. There was no oth- 
er denomination here at that time. The above 
school house was afterwards destroyed by fire. 

Perley Putnam was the only saddler and harness 
maker here, and I learned my trade of him. His 
shop was located where Dr. Campbell now resides, 
and his dwelling, a one-story building was immedi- 
ately west of his shop and on the lot next east of the 
Thayer house. Putnam became interested as a part- 
ner in the wheel head factory, at what was then 
called Sodam, now Mottville. Lower down the 
stream where the brick grist mill is now, was then 
called Gomorrah. These scriptural names were so 
applied to these locations because there were a large 
number of Universalists in the neighborhood. Put- 
nam's partners in the wheel head factory were Dea- 
con Porter (he that owned the old tavern). Barker and 



HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 47 

Lovell. Afterwards it was carried on by Porter, 
Putnam, Newell and Leonard, the latter was a broth- 
er of Norman Leonard. 

Noah Barnes either owned or tended the flour 
mill here ; afterwards Peabody owned it ; and later 
it went into the hands of a man by the name of Miner. 
Soon after Lewis & Cotton purchased this property, 
after which Earll & Kellogg were the proprietors. 

The bridge across the outlet was built in this year. 
It was a long wooden structure, extending from 
about the Bank corner to the old Van Shoick house, 
(now removed). It was only intended for a single 
carriage way, but by tight squeezing two could pass 
in opposite directions. 

John Briggs kept a tavern in the house now 
owned by Packwood, on the corner of Genesee and 
Lake streets. A Mr. White afterwards rented it for 
the same purpose, latter a Mr. Sackett purchased 
this- house and lived in it as a private residence. 
Briggs then purchased what is now known as the 
Root place. There was then a log house on this lot 
and he removed it, and built what is now the rear 



48 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 

part of the Root house. Nicholas Thome afterwards 
owned this same property and built the front of the 
Root house. Thompson and Billings did the car- 
penter work, and a man by the name of Weston was 
the mason. This was about the year 1824. 

The west building of the old tavern, where the 
Packwood House is now situated, was being built in 
1807. Isaac Selover was the contractor, and David 
Hall was one of the carpenters. Isaac Sherwood 
kept tavern there as soon as the building was finished 
and Stephen Smith tended bar for him. The first 
house after passing the Briggs tavern on the west 
Lake Road, was a frame building which was located 
about where Arthur Barnes now lives, and a man by 
the name of Andrews lived in it, afterwards it was a 
cooper shop, and Ira Reynolds was the cooper. The 
next building was a low frame structure owned by 
David Seymour, who was a farmer, brickmaker and 
a shoemaker. His farm included the Furman, Field, 
Nye and Smith places. William Gibbs afterwards 
lived on this place and Mr. Booth succeeded him, 
he living there until his death. Stephen Gardner 



HISTORY OF SKAXEATELES. 49 

lived on the Sidney Smith place and afterwards sold 
the place to Alexander M. Beebe. There was a two 
story frame building on the Lapham place and oc- 
cupied by Jacobus Annis. Abraham Cuddeback 
had a farm where the Dr. Hurd house now is. 

There were no buildings in 1807, between the 
Briggs tavern and where Jas. A. Root now lives. 
Winston Day's store was on the corner of the main 
street, (old lake house lot), the road running north 
went directly to the large elm tree now in the rear 
of George Barrow's dwelling, it passed over the pres- 
ent site of the Methodist Church. From the elm 
tree it ran to Aaron Austin's, thence to General 
Robert Earll's, and between Austin's and Earll's 
there were four log dwelling houses, three on the 
west side and one on the east side of the road. The 
mill house in 1807, was then occupied by Peabody 
the miller, no other house beyond that to the elm 
tree. The Winston Day dwelling house, a two sto- 
ry building then stood on the site of the William 
Marvin house, it was painted white in front and red 
in the rear, the next building east was Elnathan An- 



SO HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 

drews' tavern. Andrews had a travelers' barn on 
the lake shore, a little to the east of opposite the 
tavern. An elephant, the first one ever seen in this 
part of the State, was housed in this barn. This 
barn was then the only building on the south side of 
the main street. John Meeker's store, frame two 
story building, then stood where State street now is, 
this was next to the tavern ; then Jonathan Booth's 
store was next east, his residence was on the next 
lot east. The Meeker store was afterwards moved 
when State street was laid out and placed on the lot 
occupied by I. S. Amerman ; it was afterwards taken 
down and Charles Pardee built the house now on its 
location. The Booth residence was also removed to 
the east side of State street. The Booth store was 
moved on the west side of Jordan street by Nehemi- 
ah Smith and used as a tin shop. It is now the resi- 
dence of Horace Cornell. The building now owned 
by Dr. Campbell as an orifice, was built by Jonathan 
Booth for Alexander Beebe and John Furman for a 
law orifice. 



HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 5 I 

Norman Leonard's store, a one story frame build- 
ing, stood on the site of the Horton dwelling. 
When Horton was about to build the present dwell- 
ing, the store was moved to the lot next west (now 
owned by Mrs. Wheeler), and Gibbs and Horton kept 
the store and Charles Pardee was their clerk. 

Isaac Selover's house was the next house east (on 
the Thayer lot). The one and a half story frame 
house unpainted, which stood on the John Kellogg 
place, was afterwards moved on the west side of 
Jordan street. Gordon Bingham moved the house 
and owned it. It was lately taken down and the 
dwelling occupied by J. K. Knox is on the same 
lot." 

It will be noticed from his location of the stores 
in 1807, that they were all on the north side of the 
main street. Why the location was afterwards 
changed to the south side of the street is not known 
except possibly, the anticipation of a large lake 
trade that may have induced the construction of the 
expensive stone docks in the rear of the present row 
of brick stores. Had the business remained on the 



52 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 

north side of the street, there would have been no 
more attractive village in the whole State of New 
York than Skaneateles. 

In addition to those living here seventy-five years 
ago, we learn the following were here sixty-five years 
ago. 

Reuben Austin, laborer here in 1815. 

Miles Allen, miller, owned the Weedmill. Rob- 
ert Earll's son-in-law. 

Briggs & Hall (Isaac and David), merchants here 
at the time. 

Elkannah Benson, farmer and pottery manufac- 
turer in Skaneateles near Owasco. 

Abijah Benson, tanner, currier and shoemaker, 
Benson street. 

Silas Belding, gate-keeper near Jacob Allen's. 

Nathan Blodgett, potash boiler for John Meeker, 
lived in the Huxtable house. 

Eleazer Burns, potash boiler for the same. 

Alexander M. Beebe, lawyer, lived where Sydney 
Smith now resides. Went to Utica from here 
and edited the Gospel Messenger. Died in Utica. 



HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 53 

He first came here with John S. Furman about 1804. 

Myrick Bradley, farmer, lived on the S. C. Cono- 
ver place, and was afterwards killed in Syracuse. 

Amos Benedict, farmer. 

William Burroughs, farmer, lived on the Henry 
Vary farm. 

George Boyd, laborer here. Was intemperate. 

Stephen Burnett, teamster here. 

John Burroughs, farmer, Alvin's father. 

Almerin Bowen, farmer, lived on the Wyckoff 
farm. 

Joseph Bentley, farmer, on the Valentine Willetts 
farm. 

Amos Bacon, shoemaker, Col. Hecox's brother- 
in-law. 

Samuel Belamy, farmer, on the Geo. F. Shot- 
well place. 

Joshua Bates, farmer and blacksmith, on the 
John Joyce farm. 

Jonathan Booth, merchant here, store site on B. 
Lee's office. Died Sept. 24, 1840, aged 78 years. 



54 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 

Micajah Benedict, farmer, Sennett, near the Owl's 
Nest. 

Jeremiah Birch, farmer, Dutch Hollow, Niles. 

Daniel Burroughs, farmer and carding machine 
maker on the Vine Warner farm. 

Peleg Bennett, crazy man. 

George H. Cotton, millwright, owned the mill 
here. 

John Coe, painter by trade, and lived on the old 
Betsey Clark place. 

Noble Coe, tavern keeper, owned the old tavern 
opposite the old meeting house. 

Coe & Marsh, kept the Sherwood tavern here. 
Alvin Coe, fast young man, brother of Noble. 

Palmer Cady, tavern keeper in the Gulf. Hus- 
band of Mrs. Francis. 

Joshua Chandler, farmer, one of the first settlers 
up the east side of the lake near Wm. Briggs. 

Elijah Cody, farmer, near Clintonville. 

Ashbel Chapman, farmer, lived on the Luther 
Clark place. 



HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 55 

John Capen, brother-in-law of Selah Thompson, 
was blind. 

George Coon, farmer, east of Compton's. 

Asaph Cleaveland, farmer. 

Stephen Chase, blacksmith and manufactured 
hoes. Moved to Lysander and died there. 

James Curtis, carpenter and joiner, lived on John 
Clark's place. 

Ezra S. Curtis, studied law with Daniel Kellogg. 

Elijah Cole, farmer, owned the Community farm. 

Philo Dibble, harness maker, came here in 1812. 
Shop was on Dr. Campbell's place. 

William B. Douglass, built the Milford house, 
and was a patent-right peddler. 

John Dorhance, farmer on Capt. Taylor's farm. 

Samuel Diffins, farmer, an Irishman, and lived on 
the Chauncey Thome farm. 

James Daggett, teamster between Albany and 
this place, lived in the Gulf near Guppy's. 

Daniel Dennison, farmer, on the west side of the 
lake. 



56 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 

John Dayley, farmer, turned Mormon and left 
town. 

James Dayley, farmer, moved to Ohio, and went 
into the counterfeit business there. 

Moses Dayley, farmer, turned Mormon and left 
for Ohio. 

Abraham Dodge, farmer, had the best farm in 
Marcellus. 

Stephen Dwinnell, farmer, Sennett. 

Cotton Denio, sold to Samuel Francis his place 
in 1813. 

Abner Edwards, farmer, east lake road in the 
old house next this side of the old Ellery place. 

Alanson Edwards, jr., school teacher, once county 
clerk. 

Abijah Earll, farmer, Col. Dan's father and on 
the same farm. 

Cotton & Lewis Earll, millers, owned the mill 
here. 

Horace Eells, son of Nathaniel, cooper on the 
Pardee place. Nathaniel, his father built the Fib- 
bens tavern about the year 181 2. 



HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 57 

William Earll, Thorn Hill, father of Shepperd. 
. Watson Earll, farmer, and grand-father of De- 
lescus. 

Josepn Enos, farmer, east side of the lake. 

Mancasseh Eaton, merchant, Clintonville, and 
afterwards kept tavern at Elbridge. 

Francis Frink, attended grist mill here, was Nel- 
son's father, colored man, rather black than other- 
wise. 

Timothy Foote, farmer, Perry's father. 

Ebenezer Foote, farmer, brother of the above, 
moved to Ohio, he lived where the Giles place 
now is. 

Joseph Frost, farmer, uncle to Russel. 

John Gibson, carpenter and joiner on the Loney 
place. 

Charles Glynn, well digger, west side of the lake. 

Samuel Green, tailor, shop near the bridge, where 
Charles Hall's yellow shop is now. 

Samuel Hecox, brother to Warren, merchant, 
firm of Ludlow & Hecox in 1812, store about 
where Mrs. Wheeler is now. 



58 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 

Warren Hecox, tanner and shoemaker. 

Augustus Hecox, tin shop, brother to Ambrose. 

Barnabas Hall, farmer, on Sim Cuddeback's 
place, was here before 1805. 

Gershom Hall, farmer, on the Brainard place. 

Laomi Hall, son of Gershom. 

Eli Hall, son of Barnabas. 

Medad Harvey, farmer, Spafford. 

John Hunt, farmer, Baptist deacon. 

Thaddeus L. Hurd, farmer, on Lorenzo Sweet 
farm. 

Eleazer Halibert, blacksmith, Borodino. 

Nicholas Holt, worked in the wheel head factory 
at Mottville. 

John Hempstead, farmer, Clintonville, on Aug. 
Reed's farm. 

Stephen Haynes, farmer on the Bill Coon place. 

Henry Harwood, shoemaker, worked for Col. 
Hecox. 

John Harmon, laborer here. 

William Ililliard, was employed in the grist mill 
here. 



HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 59 

Warren Kneeland, almanac peddler. 

Horace Kneeland, son of Asa. 

Frederick Lesley, distiller here, before 1820, af- 
terwards went to Indiana and died there. 

John Livingston, U. S. Marshal of Northern New 
York, in 1822, and owned the Brainard place. 

Noah Levins, farmer, and tavern keeper in the 
old Dascomb tavern. 

Salmon Lake, bed-quilt weaver in the Mrs. War- 
ren house here. 

Simon McKay, hatter, carpenter and joiner. 

Levi Mason, Justice of the Peace in this town. 

Eddy Mason, farmer, and Baptist preacher, 
Sennett. 

Joel Mudge, worked in the factory. 

Jeduthan Newton, was a distiller when he first 
came, from Vermont in 1814, and had a potashery. 

Aden Newton, potash boiler for Norman Leonard. 

James Northam, clerk for Norman Leonard. 

Alfred Northam, lawyer here, in company with 
James Porter or F. G. Jewett, and was Justice of the 
Peace for some years. 



60 HISTORY OF SKAXEATELES. 

Spencer Parsons, cabinet maker. 

Lovisa Pomeroy, milliner here. 

Liva Peck, came herein 1807, first lived on the 
Will Willetts farm and afterwards owned the John 
Smith's place. 

George Riker, stage driver for Sherwood. 

Jehiel Rust, farmer, on Amos Pardee's farm. 

Josiah Root, farmer, Deacon Root near Joab 
Cliffs. 

Samuel Rhoades, jr., Lewis Rhoades' father. 

Christian Rice, farmer, lived where John Eggle- 
ston now lives. 

Robert & Briggs, Sylvester and Harry, black- 
smiths. 

Eleazer Smith, jr., farmer, on the Mart DeWitt 
farm. 

Ephraim Smith, farmer, on the Joseph Tallott 
farm. 

Isaac Sherwood, born in Will iamst own, Mass., 
Oct. 12, 1769, and died April 24, 1840, at the age of 70 
years. 

Adam Shaver, farmer, Dutch Hollow. 



HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 6 1 

Simeon Skeels, farmer, east side of the lake. 

Skaneateles Manufacturing Co. — William Gibbs, 
Samuel Rhoades and others made woolen cloth at 
Willow Glen. 

Sherman & Gibson, carpenters. 

Miles Sabin, lived at Mottville. 

Chester F. Tolles, lived on the Thomas Brad- 
ford farm. Was drowned in the lake, knocked over- 
board by the boom of his own boat. 

Reuben Thomas, farmer, west side of the lake. 

Andrew Thompson, son of John Thompson the 
first settler here. 

John TenEyck, postmaster here, also Justice of 
the Peace. His store was on the present site of the 
Episcopal church. 

Jacob W. VanEtten, farmer, on the Dor Austin 
farm. 

Ebenezer Warner, farmer, Vine Warner's father. 

Warren Wilder, carpenter and joiner at Mottville, 
choked to death while eating dinner. 

Daniel Watson, tanner and shoemaker. 

Isaac Watson, brother of Daniel. 



62 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 

Jonathan Weston, Columbus' father. 

William S. Wood, goldsmith and watchmaker, 
owned the Dr. Campbell place. 

Daniel Waller, farmer on the George Clark farm. 

Shubael Wilkinson, cousin to Alfred. 

Arunnah Wightman, farmer, on the Jacob Allen 
place. 

In the year. 1815, David H. Griswold, who was a 
brother-in-law of Ambrose Hecox, kept the old tav- 
ern, which was on the same ground now occupied by 
the Hanmer buildings, next east of Judge Marvin's 
house. A ball room formed one of the attractions 
of this old hostelry. This old tavern originated 
about the year 1796. It was then kept by Captain 
Welsh, who was a militia captain. Then it was a 
a log house situated about or near where the corner 
of Main and State street now is, afterwards a frame 
addition was placed on the west side, this was two 
story and about sixty feet front and extended to the 
line of Winston Day's lot. As stated above, the 
ball room was the only accommodation of that kind 
in the village in 181 5. There was a dancing school 



HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 63 

kept there and the dancing master's name was Bond. 

After the Lake House was built in 1824, a ball 
room was made in the second story. The music 
was furnished by a Mr. Beach and his son, the father 
playing the violin and son the bass viol. They 
furnished music for all the neighboring settlements. 
Beach resided either in Marcellus or Onondaga, and 
was a devoted lover of music, a very fine player, and 
in a worldly way was in comfortable circumstances. 
He played as much for his own comfort as for his 
employers. In 18 16, William Sandford kept a store 
in this village. 

Dr. Hopkins was contemporary with Dr. Porter, 
and died about 1837. His death was the result of 
his being thrown from his sulky in the village of 
Skaneateles. He is represented as haying been 
much beloved both as a man and physician. Dr. 
Evelyn H. Porter, son of Dr. Samuel Porter, com- 
menced the practice of medicine in Skaneateles 
about 1830, and continued until his death, which oc- 
curred about 1874 or 1875. He exhibited excellent 
judgement in the discrimination of disease. 



Educational Sources, 



THE first school in this town was established in 
a log house built for the purpose by General 
Robert Earll and some of his immediate neighbors 
on the west side of the outlet near what is now- 
known as Willow Glen factory. Miss Whitman was 
the first teacher, the late Nehemiah Earll and Daniel 
Watson were scholars with others in that vicinity. 

The next school was in a log house situated about 
where Colonel Dan Earll now resides. The teacher 
was Dr. Munger. He had a son who praticed medi- 
cine, whose name was Jesse. He practiced all around 
this section of country. He was the first physician. 
This was before Porter came into the country. Af- 
ter Dr. Porter came Dr. Munger moved to a place 
called "Wellington" between where Elbridge and 



HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 65 

Camillus are now, and afterward died there. A Mr. 
Kneeland, who had been a clock peddler, was em- 
ployed by W. J. Vredenburg in 1805, to educate his 
children. This school was kept in a small new one 
story house which was on the ground where John 
Kellogg now resides. 

There was a school kept in Ralph Hall's house in 
18 14-15, teacher Miss Beecher. 

About the year 18 18 a school was kept in the 
Weston house on what is now known as Somerset 
street. This was kept by Mrs. Stephens. Her hus- 
band taught the district school at the same time. 

In 18 1 9, there was a select school kept in the 
brick store which was on the north side of the main 
street, near where Dr. Campbell's office is now. 
Laura Edwards was the teacher. She afterwards 
kept a school in the basement of the Ingham house, 
which stood where Charles H. Poor now resides. 

In 1 8 19, a Mr. Whitney taught the district school 
near the Pardee residence. Among the scholars at 
the time were John Kellogg, Sam, George and Lyle 
Francis. The first stove for burning wood was set 



66 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 

up in the middle of the school. There were also 
two large fire places on opposite sides for burning 
four foot wood. 

Mr. Thomas Allis came to Skaneateles in 1818, 
and soon after commenced teaching at the district 
school, which was on the site of the house now oc- 
cupied by Stephen Potter. In 1820, he opened a se- 
lect school in the house now owned by Lemuel Hall. 
In 1822, he kept a school in a building which 
was on the site of the house now owned and occu- 
pied by Jesse Simmons, about half a mile east of the 
village, on the old Seneca turnpike. Benjamin 
Lee's son, now the Episcopal bishop of Delaware, 
was one of the scholars, also Dorastus Kellogg and 
Augustine Kellogg, both of whom came over from 
Marcellus daily, also some of our prominent ladies 
received their early instruction from Mr. Allis. He 
afterwards kept school in his own house, which is 
known as the Huxtable place, about opposite Mr. 
Humphryes' residence. William H. Jewett, Edward 
Gould and other boys were scholars. This was 
about 1823-32. 



HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 67 

In 1826, a school was in the Maltby house, now 
owned by J. Hoagland. This was kept by a Rev. 
Mr. Brower, who from certain weaknesses was inca- 
pacitated from preaching, so taught school for a 
living. 

In '27, there was a school in one of the frame 
stores, about where Hollon's drug store now is, the 
one then occupied by B. S. Wolcott, in the third 
story. Teacher's name unknown. 

Miss S. Watson was a school teacher in this vil- 
lage in '28. 

Miss Abigail R. Higley taught the first school un- 
der St. James' Church after it was built. This was 
in July, '28. 

It may be interesting to publish a list of scholars 
who attended Miss Graham's school under St. James' 
Church fifty-two years ago. This memorandum is in 
Miss Graham's handwriting. 

"Susan B. Graham commenced teaching school at 
Skaneateles, Monday morning, May II, '29. A list 
of the scholars' names. — 



68 



HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 



Mary Ann Briggs, 
Emily Francis, 
Elizabeth Smith, 
Sophia Hall,' 
Caroline Hopkins, 
Barton Hopkins, 
Julia Eliza Lewis, 
Harriett Gibbs, 
Amanda Gibbs, 
Alexander Horton, 
Frederic Horton, 
Ann Maria Perry, 
George Perry, 
Mary Ann Creed, 
Elisha Hopkins, 
Mary Hall (or Hale,) 
Esther Brooks, 



Sarah Ann Allen, 
Nancy Lewis, 
Ann Bingham, 
Eliza Burnett, 
Frances Heacox, 
Lousia Huff, 
Mary Jane Horton, 
Nany Hall, 
Julia Rust, 
Richard Tallcott, 
Harriet Hopkins, 
Julia Smith, 
Catherine Coon, 
George Tallcott, 
Augustus Dibble, 
Cordelia Jackson, 



Joseph Tallcott. 

In 1832, Rev. Mr. Lyman had a school in Am- 
brose Hecox's house. Captain DeCost's children 
attended, also scholars from Marcellus and Elbridce. 
Mr. Lyman was a talented man and a most excellent 
teacher. 

The Union Free School, with an Academic De- 
partment, was organized in '66. The building, oc- 
cupying the old Academy site, was erected in '55, 



and enlarged by an addition on the north in 'yi. 



Stage Coaching. 



w 



7E copy the following items in relation to 
stage coaching from the 4t Centennial His- 



tory of Marcellus," written by Israel Parsons, M. D., 
which are as applicable to Skaneateles as Marcellus. 
" Before the time of railroads, the running of 
stages formed quite an important business. These 
villages along the East and West road, were wonder- 
fully enlivened day by day, by the arrival and de- 
parture of the stage coaches drawn by four horses. 

As the stages were descending these hills to enter 
the village, the drivers would make the valley rever- 
berate with the music from their tin horns. They 
became amateurs in the art, and vied with each other 
in the use of the horn. Their object in blowing the 
horn was to notify the drivers at the stables to make 
ready their horses for a change ; the landlord, that 
the meals might be in order for the passengers. 



70 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 

In those days brakes had not been introduced on 
the stages, consequently they descended the hills 
with quite a velocity. The horses used were of the 
first quality — athletic, sure footed and strong. Each 
stage weighed twenty-two hundred pounds, and 
carried eleven passengers with their baggage, which 
was moderate compared with the individual baggage 
of the present day. Two coaches were run regular- 
ly each way every day, besides extras, which were 
frequent to meet the demands of travel. 

The class of young men who turned their atten- 
tion to stage driving were natural lovers of horses, 
and, as a result of this, became very skillful in the 
management of their horses, taught them many 
tricks, and to perform feats. Each horse had a 
name, and when called by that name, obeyed the 
mandates of its master. The driver's whip was 
composed of a stalk from four to five feet long, to 
which was attached a lash ten or twelve feet in length 
and on the end of the lash a nicely braided silk 
cracker. It was a piece of dexterity to hold the 
reins of four horses, and so wield the whip as to give 



HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 7 1 

a smart crack with it ; or in coming down one of 
these hills, to lay the whip upon the top of the 
stage and blow the horn, holding the four reins in 
one hand with the horses under full speed. 

These drivers were usually daring men, but very 
energetic and faithful in the performance of their 
duties. To their good judgment, skill, and energy, 
multitudes have owed the safety of life and limb. 

Hiram Reed of this village (Marcellus), relates an 
instance which well displays the combination of these 
qualities in one driver. When a lad, at school in 
Skaneateles, he and a fellow schoolmate wishing to 
go to Auburn by stage, secured seats outside with 
the driver. As they were descending the steepest 
hill between the two places, one of the pole straps 
broke ; (two straps leading from the front end of 
the pole to the collars of the wheel horses, and with 
which they held back the stage), the driver, ready 
for any emergency, said to Reed and his mate, "hold 
on boys," and at once laid the whip on his horses, so 
that they went with full speed down the remainder 
of the hill in safety — passengers, coach and horses 



*]2 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 

unharmed. Mr. Reed says he never after sought a 
ride on the outside of a stage. The driver secured 
the safety of the stage through the leaders making a 
a constant draft on the pole to which they were di- 
rectly attached. But amidst all the confusion he did 
not forget the boys. 

Of the large number of stage drivers who used to 
drive over these hills, and contend with darkness, 
storm and tempest, but one is left living among us, 
and that is Adolphus Newton. Much of my inform- 
ation on this subject was derived from him. He 
commenced the arduous duties of stage driving in 
1 8 19, when but sixteen years of age, and continued 
eleven years. Nothing delights him more at the 
present, than to sit down before a good listener, and re- 
count the adventures of his youthful years in this de- 
partment of his life. He says at one period he drove 
what was called the "Telegraph." This was a stage 
with a limited number of passengers, and that carried 
the mail. It run eight miles an hour when the roads 
were good. They changed horses every ten miles, 
but one driver went through from Auburn to Manli- 



HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. Jl 

us, a distance of thirty-three miles. He says that 
on some special occasions of carrying important per- 
sonages, he made the distance in three hours. Once 
he had for passengers Governor Seward and Black 
Hawk, and drove ten miles in fifty minutes. It was 
a rule to give such men what was called "extra rides." 
Another load consisted of General Scott, Governor 
Marcy and Martin VanBuren. There were three pe- 
riods during Mr. Newton's driving, when opposition 
lines were placed upon the road ; only one of these 
proved to be a serious annoyance to the Sherwood 
line. This was what was called the "Pioneer" line. 
It was well stocked with first-class horses and fine 
coaches, but with inexperienced drivers. Fast driv- 
ing became a natural consequence to competition in 
staging. This proved the value of experience in 
drivers as well as in all other situations of trust con- 
nected with responsibility. For in making quick 
time, there is called into requisition good judgment 
in the management of horses, which is based only on 
successful experience, as when to drive fast, when 
slow, and when to drive moderately. Also to the 



74 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 

care given to the horses at the end of each route, in 
feeding, watering and exposure. The result was 
that the old drivers proved themselves heroes in the 
strife. For although in the frequent racing of 
stages to which they were subject, the pioneer was 
fully their equal ; yet soon the new line showed im- 
paired horses, the consequence of indiscretion in 
driving, and want of care at the stables ; this gave 
rise to such a monstrous relay of horses, that it finally 
broke down the opposition line. 

As ''variety is the spice of life, and competition 
the life of business," so in this racing of the stages, 
the inhabitants of this whole region were no idle 
spectators, but their every-day "humdrum life" was 
spiced by the daily news of hair-breadth escapes, and 
the jehu-feats of the drivers ; and, as in these days, 
so then, quick time increased the amount of travel. 
Stages were entirely removed from this route in 
December, 1838, when the cars were first run by 
horse power, and this was changed to steam power 
in June, 1839. The great stage proprietor, whose 
talents were as celebrated in that day for staging, as 



HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 75 

Commodore Vanderbilt's have since been for rail- 
roading, was Isaac Sherwood. His residence was in 
Skaneateles. The cut in the front part of this work 
is similar to the stages used by Mr. Sherwood. He is 
said to have weighed three hundred and eighty 
pounds. 

His first effort in business was in carrying the 
mail on foot from Onondaga Hill to the different 
settlements west of that place including Skaneateles. 
From this small beignning he rapidly advanced so as 
to own first a horse, then a horse and wagon, and fi- 
nally a stage coach with which to carry mails and 
passengers. He had a wonderful perseverance in all 
his undertakings. It is not known when he came to 
Skaneateles, but as early as 1818, he was quite exten- 
sively engaged in this business. It is state on the 
authority of the late David Hall, that Sherwood had 
a contract for a short time with the Syracuse and 
Auburn Railroad Company. After the road bed had 
been completed and ready for the iron rails, which 
were flat at first and before the l4 H " rails were used, 
he leased the road for a short time and placed wood- 



76 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 

en rails on the string pieces and operated the road 
by horse power until the Company were enabled to 
procure their rails. 

His head-quarters during the time when his busi- 
ness was the most extensive was at Skaneateles. He 
then owned the old tavern where the Packwood 
House is now, and had his office there. He did not 
personally attend to the duties of landlord, but left 
that to his son Milton. In order to show the extent 
of his stage business during his residence here, the 
following copy of a contract with the Post Office 
Department is here given : — 

No. 510. From New York to Albany and back 
daily, 30 hours. 

No 584. From Utica to Sackett's Harbour and 
back daily, 50 hours. 

No. 587. From Albany to Buffalo and back 
twice a day. 

No. 589. From Albany to Auburn and back- 
daily, 48 hours. 

No. 665, From Elbridge to Rochester and back 
twice a day, 17 hours. 



HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. JJ 

No. 672. From Rochester to Lewiston and back 
daily, 6 hours. 

No. 697. From Buffalo to Youngstown and back 
daily. 

Supplying all the intermediate offices and convey 
the mail in four-horse post coaches — at the rate of 
fifteen thousand, one hundred and thirty-four and 
fifty-hundredths dollars for every quarter of a year, 
making sixty thousand, five hundred and thirty-eight 
dollars, ($60,538.00) to be paid in drafts on post 
masters, or in money, at the option of the P. M. 
General, in the months of May, August, November 
and February. This contract shall commence on the 
first day of January, 1833, and continue until the 31st 
day of December, four years. 

No. 574. From Denmark to Ogdensburg, 3 times 
a week, at the rate of two hundred and fifty-two dol- 
lars for every quarter of a year, making one thousand 

and eight dollars to be paid as above. 

$ 1,008.00 
60,583.00 

$61,546.00 



78 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES- 

No. 587. Leaves Albany daily during' the sus- 
pension of steamboat navigation on the Hudson at 3, 
P. M., and arrive at Buffalo in 50 hours. But during 
steamboat navigation, leave Albany at 9 A. M., and 
arrive at Buffalo in 50 hours. 

2nd Mail. — Leaves Albany daily at 9 P. M., and 
arrive -at Buffalo the third day by 9 P. M., leave Buf- 
falo same time and arrive at Albany same time. 

Sherwood did not, of course, own all the stages 
on these different routes, but had an interest in near- 
ly all of them, snd some he owned entirely. He 
had agents in all of the principal cities and villages 
in the State where his mail contracts were located. 
He had a partner, Amasa Parker, who attended to 
the business in Utica, he was a brother-in-law of 
Winston Day, our first merchant, he having married 
his sister. Sherwood removed from this village to 
Auburn about the time he built the Auburn House 
in that place. The great mail contractor and stage 
operator of those early days, merits the space given 
of him and his business in this volume. 

His successor was his son, John Milton, who was 



HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. jg 

almost as ponderous as his father, and as wonderful a. 
stage proprietor. The stage fare was five cents a. 
mile, so that in the winter season a trip from this 
place to New York and back cost $30. But the 
people traveled principally in their own conve y 
ances. Riding on horseback was the usual mode of 
traveling for the first twenty years or more, of the 
settlement of the country. Consequently people be- 
came very expert in that practice. The old and 
young, irrespective of sex, would readily mount their 
steeds and go far and near as occasion required. 
They used to make extensive journeys in that man- 
ner. A lady would go from here to Massachusetts 
or Connecticut, and her whole wardrobe would be 
back of her saddle in a valise. 

Pillions were also in use ; so that families whose 
number of horses were limited, or whose horses at 
times were mostly engaged in the necessary business 
of life, could accommodate themselves by riding two 
on a horse. These exhibitions were of daily oc- 
currence. Horses were early trained under the sad- 
dle, and being thus in almost daily use, became de- 



80 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 

lightful riding horses. This was a healthy mode of 
riding. Most long journeys, simply for prospecting 
or visiting, were made in this way. Mrs. Cody, the 
grandmother of Hiram Reed, came from Massachu- 
setts sometime before the year 1800, alone and on 
horseback. She was a widow, and this was her 
prospecting tour for a home in this great vvilder- 
ness. After reaching this place, she rode around 
viewing different portions of the town, and finally 
made a purchase of six hundred and forty acres, the 
northeastern corner of which afterwards included 
what is now Clintonville. 

It must be borne in mind that, although a lady 
was thus journeying through an almost uninterrupted 
forest, without any appointed traveling companions, 
still there was a continuous procession of travelers 
on the road, either emigrating or prospecting, so 
that she was not alone, and although all were strang- 
ers to her, yet distributed all along among that 
stretched out multitude, there were very many 
mothers and grandmothers in reality, who, as the na- 
ture of society was in those days, would be interested 
in any moment in the situation of such a person. 



Religious Denominations. 



THE following article in relation to Churches is 
taken from the History of Onondaga County, 
recently published by D. W. Mason & Co. 

" The first church families who setteled in this 
village and the immediate vicinity, were Gen. Rob- 
ert Earll, in 1796, Jonathan Booth, in 1801, Wm. J. 
Vredenburg, and Charles J. Burnett, in 1803. Dur- 
ing these latter years, Rev. Davenport Phelps, a no- 
ble missionary of the church visited Auburn and of- 
ficiated there. It is believed he visited Skaneateles. 
The first remembered services were held in the house 
now occupied by Mrs. Burnett, in '03, and at the 
"Red House," residence of Gen. Robert Earll, during 
the same and the following years. Afterwards also 
in a small wooden building situated where this 



82 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 

church now stands. One half of this building was 
used for the first postoffice, and the other half was 
used and fitted for church purposes. Mr. Charles j. 
Burnett, W. J. Vredenburg, John S. Furman and a 
Mr. Letherland, here read the services. St. Peter's 
Church in Auburn, was organized in '07, and the 
E.ev. Davenport Phelps became the rector. The 
church building there was consecrated in '12, on the 
22d day of August, by the saintly Bishop Hobart. 
Mr. Vredenburg was one of the wardens of that 
church, and Jonathan Booth a vestryman. The 
church people here very generally attended church 
service in Auburn. Rev. Davenport Phelps, while 
rector of St. Peter's, frequently came here and offici- 
ated. His first service was held in the upper hall of 
the Vredenburg mansion, seats being arranged for 
the people who very generally attended the services. 
Mr. and Mrs. Burnett received their first communion 
in this house, from the hands of the Rev. Davenport 
Phelps, in '09. He also baptized their first child. 
Mr. Vredenburg died in '13. 



HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 83 

Services were held more or less regularly by lay 
readers, or an occasional missionary visitor — among 
the latter the Rev. W. A. Clarke, who followed Mr. 
Phelps as rector of St. Peter's Church, Auburn, until 
the year '16, when the first written record of the 
life of this parish appears. This is the act of incor- 
poration of St. James' Parish, Skaneateles, attested 
by Mr. John TenEyck, one of the Judges of the 
Court of Common Pleas, bearing date, January 4, 
'16. At the same meeting of the incorporators and 
others, the Rev. YVm. A. Clarke presided, and Jona- 
than Booth and Charles J. Burnett were elected 
wardens, and Edward G. Ludlow, John W. Living- 
ston, Zalmon Booth, Stephen Horton, John Pierson, 
John How, Samuel Francis, and William Gibbs, 
were chosen vestrymen. Rev. William A. Clarke 
was ordained in '12. He resigned St. Peter's Church 
in '14. 

In '16, an attempt was made to build a church, a 
conditional subscription being raised for the purpose, 
But as only $1,500 of the $2,000 required, was raised, 
the enterprise fell through and the organization was 



84 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 

abandoned, although lay reading and occasional 
visits from clergymen were continued with more or 
less regularity. 

On the 19th day of April, '24, the parish was re- 
organized under the same name, and the organiza- 
tion was attested by Levi Mason, of the Court of 
Common Pleas, and R. L. Hess, Clerk of the same 
Court. At the same time the following gentlemen 
were elected officers of the society : Wardens, Jona- 
than Booth and C. J. Burnett ; Vestrymen, William 
Gibbs, John Daniels, Stephen Horton, John Pierson, 
Charles Pardee, J. W. Livingston, Samuel Francis, 
Elijah P. Rust. The meeting for the election of 
these persons was presided over by the Rev. Augus- 
tus L. Converse, of whose after history we can learn 
nothing. 

Another blank follows until the 27th day of 
March, '26, when a meeting of the congregation was 
held, at which the Rev. Amos Pardee presided. The 
same vestry was elected with the exception of John 
Daniels, who was replaced by John Furman. The 
following year, '27, the Rev. Amos Pardee was still 



HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 85 

officiating, and the name of James M. Allen appears 
among the Vestrymen. 

Although there is no mention made in the pro- 
ceedings of either of .the last mentioned meetings, of 
the project of building a church, yet we find a paper 
bearing date August 3d, '27, which is a contract be- 
tween the Wardens and Vestry of St. James Church, 
and Enos P. Root, in which Mr. Root agrees to build 
the church and make it ready for occupancy. Of the 
same date there is also a subscription paper, on which 
is subscribed the sum of $2,595. Messrs. Burnett 
and Gibbs were this year the Wardens, and Butler S. 
Wolcott's name appears among the Vestrymen. 

In the report of the Rev. Amos Pardee to the 

Convention of the Diocese, held in Trinity Church, 

New York City, Oct. 17, '2/, apoears the following: 

" In Skaneateles the past year our members have 
increased, and our prospects are very much improved. 
A church was commenced in the last summer, and is 
now nearly or quite enclosed." 

On the 25th day of January of the following year, 

('28,) the Rev. Algernon S. Hollister was called to 

officiate as Rector for one year from the following 



86 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 

Easter and Timothy Baker and Augustus Kellogg 
were elected on the Vestry ; and the following from 
Bishop Hobart's address to the convention of '28, 
held in Trinity Church, New York, October 16th 
and 17th, shows at what date the church was con- 
secrated : 

11 On Tuesday, the 23d of September I consecra- 
ted the church at Skaneateles, where a small con- 
gregation has for several years been kept together, 
and at last by extraordinary exertions have erected 
a neat edifice for worship." 

On the 26th of May, '34, the old parsonage and 
grounds were purchased of Mr. Lucas and an addi- 
tional strip of land from Alanson Edwards. Under 
the same date the thanks of the Vestry are tendered 
to the "Circle of Industry" for the donation of $100 
towards the purchase of a parsonage. 

In August, '45 the necessity for the enlargement 
of the church was first discussed by the Vestry, indi- 
cating very clearly the growth of the parish. The 
old parsonage was sold in March, '46, and with the 
proceeds, $100 from Bishop De Lancy, $300 from 
Trinity Corporation, New York, and the proceeds of 



HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. &? 

a subscription, the building was enlarged and im- 
proved in '47. 

In May, '53, a lot and house adjoining the church 
were purchased of Mr. Vowles, and in the following 
month the house was improved and arranged for a 
parochial school. 

In February '54, the Ladies' Society saved the 
school house from sale under foreclosure of mortgage 
by paying through the Treasurer, Miss Harriet T. 
Gibbs, the sum of $1 50, for which the Vestry returned 
a sincere vote of thanks. 

The corner stone of the present St. James Church, 
was laid by the Bishop on the 30th of May, '73, and 
was consecrated January 6th, '74. 

The following have been Clergymen of this 
Church : Augustus Converse, Amos Pardee, Alger- 
non S. Hollister, Joseph T. Clarke, Charles Seymour, 
A. C. Patterson, Mr. Page, E. Moyses, R. M. Duff, 
Thomas Smith, John A. Staunton and C. P. Jennings. 

The following have been among the prominent 
members, wardens and vestrymen of St. James 
Parish : 



88 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 

Messrs. Dyer Brainard, J. G. Porter, Dr. E. H. 
Porter, Thomas Yates, L. Bartlett, W. M. Beau- 
champ, J. Snook, Jr., N. J. Roosevelt, Ransom Cros- 
by, Justin Redfield, D. T. Mosely, R. I. Baker, E. N. 
Leslie, W. H. Jewett, D. W. Hall, F. W. Stotwell, 
H. Q. Knight, John Humphreys, E. B. Coe, C. W. 
Abeel, H. J. Hubbard, and others, vestrymen. N. 
J. Roosevelt, Samuel Francis, W. M. Beauchamp, J. 
B, Marshall, William Marvin, E. Ruel Smith, and 
others, wardens. 

Statistics — Families, 150; communicants, 191; 
Sunday School scholars, 125; contributions for all 
purposes for the year ending 1877, $3,679.99; value 
of church property, $30,000 ; rectory, $4,500. 

The first settlements in this village were made in 
March, 1796. Five years after its settlement it con- 
tained about one hundred buildings of different 
kinds, when, on the 20th of July, 1801, the first 
church in the village — bearing the name of "The 
First Congregational Church of Marcellus" — was or- 
ganized by the Rev. Aaron Bascom. The Articles of 
Faith and Covenant were subscribed to by Joshua 



HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 89 

Cook, Solomon Edwards, Simeon Hosmer, Asa Har- 
wood, Daniel Cook, and Aaron Cook. They were 
incorporated as the First Church of Christ in Mar- 
cellus, and the same day on which the church was 
organized, the following persons were received : 
James Porter, Mary Cook, Elizabeth Edwards, Lu- 
cretia Hosmer, Electa Edwards, Anna Clark, Hannah 
Annice, Martha Seymour, and Rebecca Cook. The 
same day Aaron Cook was elected Clerk of the 
Church. 

The first church edifice was erected in '08 and was 
dedicated March 1, '09. 

The following are the names of the clergymen 
who have served as pastors of this Church : 

Revs. Swift, Benjamin Rice, B. B. Stocton, Alex- 
ander Cowan, Samuel W. Brace, Samuel W. Bush, 
Selden Haines, William B. Dada, A. Mandel. On 
the 20th of April, '62, the present pastor, M. N. 
Preston began laboring with this people. He was 
ordained and installed on October 2d, '62. 

In January, '18, it was unanimously resolved to 
adopt the Presbyterian form of government, and the 



90 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 

church was received under the care of the Presby- 
tery of Cayuga. By the new boundaries of presby- 
teries established by act of General Assembly in '69, 
this church was separated from Cayuga Presbytery 
and became a part of the Presbytery of Syracuse. 

The society erected a new brick house of worship 
in the year '30. The manse was purchased in the 
year '32. 

Deacons — Eli Clark, Joshua Cook, Samuel Bel- 
amy, James Porter, Ebenezer Warner, Chester Moses, 
Philip Crosbey, Foster Clark, Henry T. Hooker, Wil- 
liam Clark, Sereno Field. 

The present membership of this church is 220 ; 
attendance at Sunday School, 160. Three members 
became missionaries in foreign countries. 

The Baptist Church, was a branch of the church 
of the same denomination at Elbridge, and began 
about '20. The church edifice at first occupied was 
built by the Congregationalists on the hill east of 
the village, in 07, and was subsequently bought by 
the Baptist Society, moved down and refitted. The 



HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 91 

present building was erected in '42, and cost $5,000. 
The ministers officiating have been Revs. Amasa 
Smith, Nathan Denison, Charles Elliott, John G. 
Zeeple, S. S. Relyea, William Roney, Henry Bowen, 
E. B. Palmer, George K. Allen, C. H. James and 
M. F. Negus. Present membership, 153 ; average at- 
tendance in Sunday School, 100. 

The Society of Friends, in this village, was or- 
ganized from '10 to '14. Joseph Frost, Russel Frost, 
Silas Gaylord, William Willetts and Abner Lawton 
were among the early members. The meetings were 
held in the meeting house now occupied by that 
branch of the friends known as the " Hicksites, " 
about two and a half miles southwest of the village, 
near the Octagon School House. 

In '28, a division of the society into the two 
branches of Orthodox and Hicksites occurred, the 
latter being the followers of Elias Hicks, a distin- 
guished liberal preacher among the Friends. Among 
the most prominent members of the Orthodox branch 
were Joseph Tallcott and his two sons, Richard and 
Daniel. Of this branch Sarah Tallcott was the first 



92 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 

minister. They held their meetings in the old red 
meeting house which was built on the farm of Rich- 
ard Tallcott, just within the present corporate limits, 
and which was torn down in '73, during which year 
the present edifice was erected. The present mem- 
bership is about forty, and value of church property 
$3,000. Present minister, Chauncey B. Thorne. 

The branch known as Hicksites continued to 
hold meetings at the old meeting house, in which 
they still worship. Their first minister was Adin 
Cory. At that time William Willetts, Warren Giles, 
Abner Lawton and Silas Gaylord, were among their 
prominent members. 

The earliest meetings of St. Mary's of the Lake, 
Roman Catholic, were held in the village about '45, 
In '53, the first church was begun on the site of the 
present edifice, and was dedicated September 7, '56. 
It was a wooden building and cost $2,500. Rev. 
William McCallian officiated from the organization 
of the church till his death, in '64, and was succeeded 
by Rev. Joseph Butler, O. S. F. Rev. F. J. Purcell 



HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 93 

assumed the pastoral charge in June, '65. The first 
church was destroyed by fire, May 23d, '66, and the 
present edifice erected by Rev. Purcell and dedica- 
ted in June, '67. Present membership six hundred; 
Sunday School fifty. 

St. Bridget's is a Chapel at Skaneateles Falls, 
four miles distant from St. Mary's of the Lake, 
built to accommodate parties too far from the 
church. It was erected by Rev. Purcell, and was 
dedicated in September, '74. It belongs to the 
same parish of St. Mary's of the Lake. 

For several years previous to 1832— '33, the circuit 
preachers of the Methodist Episcopal Church held 
religious services in a school house located nearly 
opposite the present parsonage on West Genesee 
street. A class was early formed which was largely 
increased through the means of a revival conducted 
by "Father" Bibbins. Following this revival was a 
movement for the building of a chapel to better ac- 
commodate the needs of the growing society, which 
resulted in the purchase of a lot on West Gene- 



94 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 

see street, and the erection of a building thereon in 
1834, under the pastorate of Rev. Lyman R. Reding- 
ton. 

In '53, this chapel was enlarged and beautified at 
a cost of about $800. At the completion of these 
repairs the expenses were all provided for with the 
exception of seventy-five dollars. To meet this in- 
debtedness the society resolved to hold a re-opening 
service at which an effort would be made to liquidate 
the debt. Rev. C. P. Bragdon was secured to man- 
age the financial part. Rev. Mr. Burritt, a former 
pastor, preached morning and evening, and Rev. Mr. 
Denison, the Baptist pastor, in the afternoon. 
Through their united efforts the necessary amount 
was raised, and the society was accommodated in 
this chapel until '59, when David Hall, Esq., built at 
his own expense a plain brick church, and presented 
it to the society. In '68 the church edifice was en- 
larged, remodeled and refurnished. Rev. William C. 
Steele delivered the address at the laying of the cor- 
ner stone of the first brick church and Bishop E. S. 
Janes delivered the dedicatory sermon, and at the 



HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 95 

rededication of the church after its enlargement, Dr. 
Peck, now " Bishop, " delivered the dedicatory ser- 
mon. 

The following named pastors have served the 
church here, viz : "Father" Bibbins, Lyman R. Red- 
dington, Jesse T. Peck, Selah Stocking, I. Hutchin- 
son, Joseph Cross, C. W. Harris, V. M. Coryell, John 
Robie, Walter Hare, Thomas Pearne, Isaac Parks, 
John Mitchel, Charles Burritt, Joseph Hartwell, Wil- 
liam^Cobb, O. Hesler, S. H. Brown, E. N. Cuyken- 
dall, William Miller, Isaac Foster, William Searles, 
William Burr, William Bixby, M. S. Wells, T Bissell, 
William Reddy, R. Redhead, George White, Mr. 
Eastwood, A. Roe. Present membership, one hun- 
dred and seventy ; number of Sunday School schol- 
ars one hundred and seventy. 

The Skaneateles Falls Methodist Episcopal 
Church is located in this town about three and 
a half miles north of the village, and the first meet- 
ings were held in the house of Mr. Bannister, class 
leader, late in 1867, or early in '68, and in 'y^ or '74, 
the school house was occupied for religious services, 



g6 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 

and from '75 to 'yy, inclusive, a room in the brick 
block provided by Thomas Mortin.' A very credita- 
ble church building, 24 by 40, with basement, has 
been erected, chiefly through the aid of Mr. Weeks, 
a member of the church in this village. 

It was dedicated in February, '78 ; the present 
membership is twenty ; the average attendance at 
Sunday School is about forty. Although the Prot- 
estant people within reach are not numerous, yet 
they are generally interested and enterprising in their 
support of the church. 

The Methodist Episcopal Church of Mottville, 
in this town, is comparatively young as a distinct 
society, though the place had been a Methodist ap- 
pointment with more or less regularity for about 
twenty-five years, and meetings were held in private 
houses or the school house until '73, when under the 
supervision of Rev. William Keddy, D. D., pastor of 
the church in the village, the old school house was 
purchased, moved to its present site and fitted up 
for church purposes at a cost of $1,000. The dedi- 
cation occurred January 24, '73. Among the origi- 



HISTORY OF SKAXEATELES. 97 

nal members were O. Coleman, Chester Benton, 
Mrs. Catherine Blodgett, Mrs. Maria Hunsiker, Wil- 
liam Barber, Mrs. Esther Young and Mrs. Charlotte 
Bradley. 

Rev. O. N. H in man was the next pastor, and he 
was followed by Abram Fancher. Rev. M. J. Wells, 
the present incumbent, was appointed pastor in Sep- 
tember, 1877. The present membership is forty- 
three, the average attendance at Sunday School 
about the same, congregation good, and social meet- 
ings ivell attended." 

The following was copied from vol. A, page 34, 
from the book of miscellaneous records in the County 
Clerk's office : — 

4i Marcellus, October 29, 1801. At a meeting of 
the Schaneateles Religious Society, holden at the 
school house, the usual place of meeting for Public 
worship, for the purpose of establishing a Religious 
Society, agreeable to law in such cases made and 
provided, for which purpose Ebenezer R. Hawley 
and Aaron Cook was unanimously chosen to super- 
intend the said meeting. 



98 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 

Now we, the said Ebenezer Hawley and Aaron 
Cook, do hereby certify that the said Society being 
so meet, did elect and chuse Ebenezer R. Hawley, 
Joseph Clift, Judah Hopkins, Peter Putnam and 
Daniel Cook, to be trustees for the said Society 
and that the said Society should forever be known 
and distinguished by the name of The Schaneateles 
Religious Society." 



The Skaneateles Lake. 



WHEN the first settlers reached its shores, the 
dense forest stretched almost to the water's 
edge. There were numerous points jutting from the 
shores on either side covered with trees and under- 
brush, the most prominent of which was at the ter- 
minus of what is now known as the Shotwell brook, 
which at that time was a very considerable stream of 
water. This point projected far into the lake, and 
it was from about this locality that a sand bar ran 
across to near mile point, over which a man could 
wade across from shore to shore with his head above 
water. All the points before mentioned were the 
terminus of inlets into the lake, all of which carried a 
much greater volume of water than they do now. 
At that period while forests were intact, the springs 
on the hill sides flowed all the year around. The 



IOO HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 

rays of the sun had but little effect on the surface 
beneath, and the snows of winter remained on the 
ground until late in the spring months, the gradual 
melting of which together with the rains, were much 
more abundant than at the present time, supplied 
the springs with water throughout the year with oc- 
casional interruptions in the summer months during 
a dry season. As a result of this, the level of the 
surface of the lake was generally very uniform. On 
occasions of a very rain)' season, the rise would not 
average over one foot, which gradually subsided from 
the natural flow through the outlet. 

The line of shore at the lower end of the lake ran 
from about the northern boundary of the Lapham 
Place in nearly a semi-circle where Jas. E. Porter now 
resides or perhaps a little further to the east. The 
southern terminus of the present coffer dam was the 
outline of the original shore. Between that and the 
present shore in the rear of the brick stores, was a 
swampy flat, interspersed with pools of water and 
very similar in appearance to the woodland now on 
the direct road to Auburn, beyond the county line. 



HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. IOI 

This flat was covered with old forest trees, princi- 
pally elm and red oak, and considerable underbrush. 
The outlet ran through this flat and was filled with 
driftwood, the debris, which had accumulated there 
from time immemorial. This driftwood formed a 
bridge for the first settlers to cross the outlet. 

It is presumed that the upper end of the lake was 
similar in appearance, but more rugged. 

The first dam was constructed of logs, and was 
about upon a line with the north end of the present 
bridge, it did not raise the water more than three or 
four feet, and was constructed by Jesse Kellogg for 
Judge Sanger, about the year 1797. Sanger built 
the first grist mill, and Kellogg built the first saw 
mill, which were both supplied with power from this 
dam. 

The first name given to Mile Point, was Barney's 
Point, named from Barnabas Hall, who settled on 
the military lot adjoining. There was. very early, a 
log house erected on this point by a man by the 
name of Bebee, after his death his widow, called by 
the boys, 4 ' Granny Bebee," lived in it for many 



102 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 

years ; she was called a witch, and all the boys and 
girls were afraid of her. After her death, a man by 
the name of McMullen lived in it. His wife, Kate 
McMullen, worked for many people here-abouts. par- 
ticularly Zalmon Booth. 

The effect of raising the water in the lake by the 
dam, was to flood not only the swampy flat at this 
end, but nearly all the picturesque points, which 
were covered with trees, the stumps of which could 
be seen for many years thereafter, particularly at 
this end of the lake. Another effect was the contin- 
ual washing away of the shores undermining the 
roots of the trees, causing drift wood and snags in 
the body of the lake and on its shores. This gradu- 
al washing away has greatly enlarged the surface 
from what it was originally. At the present time, 
the rise and fall of the water from extreme to ex- 
treme is about seven feet, so that when the water is 
at high water mark the whole surface of the lake is 
seven feet higher than it was when Abraham Cudde- 
back came here in 1794, and settled on the west 
shore. 



HISTORY OF SKANEATEI.ES. 103 

The first building on the lake shore in the vil- 
lage was a large travelers' barn belonging to Elna- 
than Andrews who kept the old tavern. The next 
one was put up by John Legg for a blacksmith's 
shop, on about the present site of- Legg Hall. The 
next was a frame harness shop erected about the 
year '12, by Philo Dibble. The next was a frame one- 
story lawyer's office built by Alfred Northam ; this 
was east of Dibble's shop. 

The first steamboat of the Lake, the Independ- 
ence, was constructed in '31, on the shore of the 
lake about where H. L. Roosevelt's boat house is 
now. It was about eighty or one hundred feet in 
length. The cabin was partly below deck, so that 
in entering there were a few steps to descend to it. 
The engine was a horizontal one, and the boat had 
side wheels. The money to build it was raised by 
subscription among the people of the village. Cap- 
tain Wells, who came here from Cayuga Lake com- 
manded her. He invested largely in the enterprise 
himself. The hull had a counter stern and was a 
fair model for those early days. The boat was built 



104 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 

by a ship carpenter by the name of Winchell. There 
was also a barge built for the purpose of carrying 
freight and passengers, to be towed up and down the 
lake by the steamboat. 

On the occasion of the launch, which took place 
July 4, '31, there was an excited demonstration by 
the leading spirits of the village. A young lawyer 
named Hillis, who was then studying law in the 
office of F. G. Jewett, delivered a speech on the occa- 
sion, and a high time was indulged in, ending with a 
dance, the music for which was furnished by a negro 
clarionet player. 

It was not long before an opposition steamer 
was started. During the same year Captain Fowler 
brought a small steamer about forty feet in length 
from the Hudson River by canal, and had it trucked 
up to the lake by means of a large number of oxen. 
This craft had side wheels and was driven by a small 
steam engine. The owners of the Independence were 
obliged to go to Robert Fulton and Livingston to get 
a license to run a steamboat on this lake, as the State 
had granted them a monopoly to run steamboats in 
this State. 



HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 105 

Captain William Fowler did not belong about 
here, but came with his boat, which was named The 
Highland Chief, from the Hudson River. He had 
an impediment in his speech ; stammered so that it 
was almost impossible to understand what he was 
trying to say. But he could whistle, and after his 
boat was changed into a sailing craft he made use of 
his whistling powers to invite the wind whenever 
there was a calm. 

In the course of three years it was found that 
steamboating did not pay here. The engine and 
boiler were sold under execution, by a merchant then 
in business here, and the hull was turned into a sail- 
ing craft, and finally the whole investment proved a 
total loss to all concerned, more especially to Cap- 
tain Wells, who invested all his money in the venture. 
The opposition boat shared the same fate. 



Interesting Anecdotes. 



THE original Village Lots were probably laid 
out by Judge Sanger. As a general rule they 
were ioo feet front and twenty rods in depth. 
The Thayer lot, was village lot number six. It was 
first conveyed by Sanger to Seth McKay, January 
16, 1801. Consideration $5. July 21, 1802, Seth 
McKay conveyed it to Norman Leonard. Consider- 
tion $200. Norman Leonard afterwards sold it to 
John Legg. Sanger sold village lot number eleven 
to Joseph Pearce, house carpenter, for twenty dol- 
lars. Warren Heacox purchased a one acre lot on 
the west side of the outlet of the lake from Sanger, 
October 12, 01. Consideration $10. Deed witnessed 
by Asa Hatch and Samuel Porter. 

These lots as laid out were termed "village plots 
on the north end of Skaneateles lake." 



HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 107 

The " Dark Day " was one of the epochs of the 
early settlers and was caused by an unusual eclipse of 
the sun which took place June 16, '06. The day 
was cloudy and the obscuration produced almost 
total darkness. The many forest trees which sur- 
rounded the dwellings of the people had the effect to 
deepen the darkness. The feathered tribe all re- 
tired to roost and the day was one long remembered. 

Samuel Litherland and Isaac Selover were en- 
gaged in laying the floors of the Vredenburg house 
on that day ; it became so dark that it was impossi- 
ble to go on with the work, so Mr. Vredenburg sup- 
plied them with candles. Litherland was in the 
habit of recounting his experience on that occasion 
to his friends throughout his life. 



The first excitement among the early settlers was 
when the clam broke away about the early part of 
the present century. This occurred during a Satur- 
day night and on the Sunday morning following the 
people became much excited, as the breach de- 
prived them of the facilities of the grist mill. The 



108 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 

news spread rapidly throughout the settlement, and 
the missionary, (supposed to be Rev. Isaac Rawson), 
who was employed by the year to preach in the old 
school house on the hill, where the meeting house 
was afterwards erected, learning uf the catastrophe 
sent a boy to the place of meeting, directing him to 
inform the assembled congregation to adjourn and 
assist to repair the mill dam, as it was more impor- 
tant for them to have bread than to hear him 
preach. This brought a crowd of assistants who 
worked lustily under the direction of the minister, 
and the work was thoroughly completed before sun- 
down. 

During the War of 1812, a detachment of cavalry 
stopped here on their way to the frontier and em- 
ployed John Legg to make horseshoes and horse- 
shoe nails. Legg had all the blacksmiths in the sur- 
rounding country to work for him incompleting this 
order, as it was necessary to have the utmost dispatch. 



In the month of August, 1814, one hundred and 
sixty-eight British prisoners captured in the attack 



HISTORY OF SKAXEATELES. 109 

Fort Erie passed through this place. They bivouaced 
over night on the lake shore on the land now owned 
by Fred Roosevelt. They were on their way to the 
Cantonment at Greenbush on the Hudson River. 



As early as 1815, there had been no negroes 
brought into this part of the State, but Mr. Vreden- 
burg brought from New York a black wench as 
cook. The children were all afraid of her and ran 
as soon as she made her appearance in the streets. 
There were, however, two native born negroes, in 
either Mr. Booth's or Mr. Furman's family. Their 
names were Jack and Kate. They were born about 
'12, and were slaves and belonged to either of the 
above named families. These became fiee under a 
law afterward passed by the State. An Irishman 
was a curiosity in those days ; there were no Irish 
women. The hired help were all natives, who were 
glad to hire out at 75 cents per week. The con- 
ditions for prime help were that in addition to the 
ordinary house work, they would agree to spin twen- 
ty knots and do the milking night and morning. 



I 10 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 

But hired help was then treated as equals in the 
family. The Vredenburg family being more aristo- 
cratic, wanted servants who were not treated as 
equals and such could not be found about here, con- 
sequently they had to import all their help from 
New York. 



It is said that Colonel Vredenburg had brought 
with him from New York, among other things, some 
of the best Holland gin, imported in half gallon jugs. 
One of these jugs, sealed perfectly tight, was placed 
in one of the chimneys and cemented immediately 
back of the fire-place, (rather a warm place for gin.) 
One of the masons who worked on the building 
when the chimney was built, and who assisted in 
placing the jug of gin in the brick work, passed 
through this village about the year '46, at which time 
the gin ought to have been buried some forty years. 
This man must have been at least sixty-five years 
old. Said he had never been in the village since he 
He told the tale of the jug 

• the 



HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. m 

old mansion. His personal appearance indicated his 
affection for kindred spirits, and after detailing the 
story, he exclaimed : — " I would give five dollars, (if 
I had it,) for one smack of that gin. " 



Previous to the year 1846, a day was set apart for 
the general turnout of the militia, which was called 
General Training Day. This was the product of the 
revolution. On this day a regiment would assemble, 
alternately in this village and the village of Mar- 
cellus, " armed and equipped as the law directs," for 
the purpose of military drill and parade. These reg- 
imental drills occurred day by day, succeeding each 
other, until all the regiments in the Brigade had 
been successfully inspected by the Brigadier General. 
With the movements of the Brigadier General and 
his aids, from one general training place to another, 
there followed a perfect caravan of peddlers, truck- 
sters and all sorts of people who would arrange them- 
selves early in the morning, in convenient places in 
the village. These were followed by endless streams 
of people who were to make up the various actors 



112 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 

and spectators of the day. General training day 
was about the middle of September. With the 
exception of an independent company of sixty, called 
the Rifle Company, the others were denomina- 
ted Bear Foot and Floodwood companies. Prob- 
ably these names were given them on account of 
the striking contrast they presented to the Rifle 
Company, which was a trim, beautiful company 
of selected men, whose uniform was a dark gray 
suit, pants with a black stripe running down the 
outside of the leg, dress coat, single breasted with 
one row of gilt military buttons set closely together, 
extending from the waist to the neck, a stiff straight 
collar with three or four parallel strips of yellow tin- 
sel lace extending over each shoulder and around the 
cuffs of the sleeves. A tall beaver hat with a thin 
brass plate, ornamented with figures fastened on the 
front of it, and from behind this plate, apparently 
growing out of the top of it, was a tall, bushy, red 
feather. Each man carried a first-class rifle, in com- 
plete order, and a powder flask suspended from a 
belt fastened around his waist. Occasionally this 



HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. I I 3 

company assembled on the Fourth of July for the 
purpose of escorting and doing honor to the old 
veterans. The " Floodwood Companies, " although 
made up of men like the Rifle Company, had the ap- 
pearance of having emanated from some dark region 
of the earth, on account of the utter carelessness 
manifested by a portion of them, in dress and per- 
sonal appearance. Having no uniform, every man 
was dressed to meet his own views of taste and com- 
fort, so that when formed into one body as a regi- 
ment, there was very much the appearance of daz- 
zling light leading hideous darkness. The Flood- 
wood Company were equipped with musket and bay- 
onet, a cartridge box hanging one side and a bayo- 
net sheath the other, each suspended by a strap 
passing over the opposite shoulder. . Although on 
company training day, (which was always the first 
Monday in September,) there were many departures 
in the Floodwood Companies from the regulations of 
the day, but on " General Muster" order prevailed, for 
the scrutiny of the higher officers peculiar to this 
day, was such that whoever ventured to violate 



114 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 

rules, was sure to be returned to Court Martial, and 
there to meet with a retribution, which destroyed all 
desire ever afterward to repeat the misdemeanor. 



" When I was a boy about seven years old, there 
stood a two story frame house on the west shore of 
the lake, which had been occupied as a tavern. The 
house was painted a dingy brown, and near by stood 
a small barn for the accommodation of travelers' 
horses. This house had the reputation of being 
haunted. A well-known peddler had disappeared 
and the last that was seen of him was in that house. 
With all the vivid stories of the ghostly apparitions 
which took place in that house every night, that were 
floating around the village, particularly among the 
boys of my age, I became imbued with awe and 
hardly dared to go out after dark. However I was 
obliged sometimes to go to the stores from my home, 
which was in the eastern part of the village. One 
evening, I recollect distinctly of passing on the south 
side of the turnpike along where the " boulevard " 
now is, between Legg Hall and the Episcopal 



HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. I I 5 

church. I looked up the lake shore and was horri- 
fied by the light of two rows of flittering lights pass- 
ing in opposite directions through the trees and 
bushes. One row of lights going directly from the 
haunted house in nearly a straight line clear down to 
the lake, and into the water, another row, I should 
judge about ten feet from the other row, were run- 
ning from the water to the house. I could not see 
that there were any persons carrying the lights and 
came to the conclusion that owing to the rapidity of 
the lights through the air, that it was not done by 
human agency. At the time of the disappearance of 
the peddler, folks said the family had not a very good 
name. By and by, the family moved away. The 
man who bought the house, while one day digging 
the refuse accumulations out of the cellar, found the 
peddler's bones, at least everybody supposed they 
must have been the peddler's, as nobody else 
was missing at that time. Nobody claimed them 
and the man chucked them in the corner of a pasture 
lot near by. The boys used to visit the location in 
the day time and amuse themselves by kicking the 



Il6 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 

bones around for fun. Some of the boys cracked 
butternuts with the peddler's shin bone, at least 
that is what they said. The man who owned the 
place and who found the bones, moved his family into 
the house. They had not got fairly settled before 
the chairs began to tumble around and the dishes 
rattled in the cupboard, the doors would not stay 
shut, and the windows rattled and banged, as if some 
one was all the time shaking them. The owner of 
the house said, every night some one he could not see 
kept shaking something about his ears, that sounded 
like bones in a bag. Then a big yellow dog, with 
red eyes,- got to appearing in the house and when any 
of the family would go near him, he would not be there 
sometimes going up into the air, and sometimes fad- 
ing away right where he stood, this is what the family 
said and everybody believed them. The circum- 
stance of the man's treating the peddler's bones so 
unchristianlike as to throw them in the corner of a 
lot was sufficient cause, in the opinion of everybody, 
for the house being haunted, and there was no use 



HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 117 

of having any peace in that family until the bones 
were buried decently, and everybody told the man 
he had better do it. So he went to work to see if he 
could not get the peddler together, and lay him to 
rest in the grave yard. He found a few of the bones 
and buried them decently, to see if the advice he 
had received from everybody proved true. The 
doors and windows banged and the chairs kept mov- 
ing about as usual, but the bag of bones did not rat- 
tle so much and the mysterious yellow dog, that 
looked all along so fierce with his eyes very red, was 
not so fierce looking, after the few bones had been 
planted, and his eyes changed to a mild blue, and 
just before he disappeared he gave his tail a little 
wag. 

This encouraged the family, and they went to 
work hunting for more of the skeleton. They offered 
the boys ten cents a bone for all they could find, and 
the family joined in the search until they got all 
but the skull. Well, these were all buried with the 
first ones. The effect was, that the chairs kept still 
and the windows and doors did not bane so much, 



Il8 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 

• 

and the bag of bones quit entirely, but the queerest 
result was the action of the dog, the children could 
almost get him to play with them, and they said he 
looked so pleased when he dug out and went into 
the air with a playful skip. 

The family, now, only wanted the skull, but with 
the most careful search it could not be found. Some 
time after, a boy was picking berries along the fence 
not far from where the bones had been originally 
thrown, when he stepped on a rolling stone, which 
threw him on the ground in the brush, when to his 
surprise he discovered that he had stepped on the 
peddler's skull, which every boy in the neighborhood 
had been searching for. He immediately carried it 
to the man, who faithfully rewarded him for finding 
it. The skull was buried with the other collection of 
the remains of the unfortunate peddler, and from 
that day the house was perfectly quiet, and the fam- 
ily lived in peace thereafter. 

I do not vouch for the truth of all these stories, 
as I had no personal experience, being too small a 
boy to join the larger ones in kicking around the 



HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. I 19 

bones, but I heard the details from the other boys. 
Perhaps some of the old inhabitants who were then 
living hereabouts, may dispute some of the circumstan- 
ces above related, but it must be borne in mind that I 
was a small boy then, and could not take any active 
part with the larger boys, who kicked the bones 
around for fun, and that my information was princi- 
pally derived from hearsay, my ears were always 
open and any statement made by the boys, made an 
indelible imprint on my youthful memory. In after 
years, I used to hear the frequenters of the old tav- 
ern, (which stood next east to the present residence 
of Mr. Marvin,) talk about the haunted house, and 
relate circumstances identical with those I have de- 
tailed." 



The late Augustus Kellogg, as is well known, 
died Oct. 30th, 1871. It is not generally known 
however, that he committed suicide by taking lauda- 
num. On Sunday morning, Oct. 29th, John Slocum 
st< pped into his office and found Kellogg in a deep 
.:dcavor waken him, but did not 



120 HISTORY OF SKAXEATELES. 

succeed. In about an hour Slocum went in again, 
and found Kellogg in the same state of apparent in- 
sensibility, and thereupon gave the alarm to his rel- 
atives. The neighbors flocked in and the rooms 
were filled all day long. Kellogg remained in the 
same state in which he was found until the morning 
of Oct. 30th, when he died. 

In connection with this subject it may be inter- 
esting to state that the late Charles Pardee prepared 
an epitaph, which he designed to have cut on a sec- 
ond-hand gravestone, to be placed over Kellogg's 
grave. He wanted a cheap stone and promised to 
select one from among those which might be offered 
but as he never called, the order could not be carried 
out. The following is an exact copy of the epitaph, 
and is in Mr. Pardee's handwriting : — 

AUGUSTUS KELLOGG, 

Died Oct. 30th, 1871, aged 6y years. 

Born in affluence, talents and education of the 

first order. 

Died as the fool dieth — buried 

in midnight-darkness by his request. 

With the talents of an Angel — a man 

may be a fool. 



HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 121 

In the year 1812, during the war of that period, 
there was, about half a mile north of the village of 
Marcellus, a central point where there was a grist 
mill, saw mill and whiskey still, which in those days 
was of considerable importance in furnishing a mar- 
ket for surplus grain which otherwise could not find 
sale nearer than Albany. There was also a wool 
carding and cloth dressing machine patronized by 
the farmers for the purpose of having the product of 
their family's looms finished for domestic use. There 
was also a store to supply whiskey and other mer- 
chandise for the needy, who had the wherewith to 
buy or exchange. The store and still were owned 
by Joseph Piatt and the still was run by Alvin 
North. There was also a paper mill owned by John 
Herring, and a powder mill owned by some one else. 
This collection of mills and the store together with 
the still, comprised an attractive business centre 
where the inhabitants of the surrounding country 
met for business purposes and to discuss the news 
of the day. Politics at that time were uppermost in 



122 HISTORY OF SKAXEATELES. 

the public mind, and the war of opinions at times was 
very bitter by members of opposite parties, which on 
some occasions led to literal knock down arguments, 
at other times to fun and frolic or to the ridiculous, 
especially when both parties were not under the in- 
fluence of liquor. 

Reuben Farnham, a resident of Skaneateles and a 
man by the name of Tompkins, who resided in the 
vicinity of the whiskey still, had a discussion. The 
theme was politics, the subject was the Hartford 
Convention and its purpose and effect. Farnham 
had a special weakness for fire-water and was inclined 
to imbibe whenever an opportunity presented itself 
and the day these two men met, he was very noisy 
and intoxicated. Tompkins was a Democrat and 
Farnham a Federal. The discussion was very heat- 
ed and Tompkins made such insulting charges 
against his adversary, that Farnham seemingly took 
offence and demanded an apology, which being in- 
sultingly denied, challenged Tompkins. He would 
only meet him again on the field of honor and pis- 



HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 123 

tols were to be the arbiter of the insult. Tompkins 
accepted the challenge, and seconds were selected bv 
each party. Joseph Piatt being one and Alvin 
North the other, and with them all matters were 
left, to arrange the preliminaries of the meeting, they 
to furnish and prepare the weapons, place the par- 
ties in position and to give the signal to fire. 

According to this pre-arrangement, the duellists 
met in a large room selected for the purpose, were 
placed at either end by their respective seconds, the 
pistols placed in their hands and at the signal, both 
fired simultaneously. Tompkins fell heavily to the 
floor, bleeding profusely from the left breast, delug- 
ing the room with blood and after a few struggles 
and gasps, was to all appearances dead. 

When Farnham realized the scene, he seemed 
dumbfounded, a reaction in his feelings overpowered 
him with remorse, and he wept like a child and 
swore that he would give himself up to the authori- 
ties and meet the legal consequences. 

Tompkins' body was carried off by his friends. 



124 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 

The affair caused the most intense excitement in the 
neighborhood and preparations were made for the 
arrest of Farnham, but before that took place the 
secret leaked out that Tompkins had not been 
killed, the duel was all a sham and there were no 
bullets placed in the pistols. Tompkins had previ- 
ously placed a small bladder of some red liquid un- 
der his vest, which was punctured at the proper 
time, which accounted for the profuse flow of blood, 
especially as he purposely fell on the left side where 
the bag of fluid was placed. 

The duel was to all parties, together with the 
spectators, except Farnham, a practical joke. To 
him it seemed a terrible reality, seeing blood, 
as it appeared running from the dying man's 
breast after he fell on the floor. After the 
company was fully satisfied with the sport, Tomp- 
kins re-appeared as sound as ever. When Farnham 
discovered that he had been fooled by a practical 
joke, his anger was unbounded and threatened 
Tompkins' life in revenge for the deception, but 



HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 125 

soon cooled off, sense and reason came to his relief, 
and the whole matter was finally settled by the com- 
pany present making up a subscription and sending 
over to the store for a jug of whiskey of which all 
joyously partook. 



|the end! 



INTRODUCTORY. 



BY BYRON E. OSBORN, M. D. 



I tell the tale of a hundred years — 

The ancient lore of our now fair town, 

The hopes and the fears, the joys and tears, 
And all its history of renown. 

How the wild warrior in his bark canoe 
Skimmed o'er the lake's placid waves, 

And woo'd the heart of his dark Zouloo, 

'Neath the shades of his ancestors' graves. 

I tell the tale of the pioneers. 

Of their struggles for loved ones at home, 
Of their few sweet days and long sad years 

They waited for happiness to come. 

Then we see their children on the wave, 

The same wave that bore the dark Zouloo, 

And a fair stalwart youth just as brave, 
In the sunlight pulling his canoe. 

Then prosperity, like a shy maid, 

Comes slowly with lillies in her hands. 

And a nation springs to joyous parade 

To make obeisance at her commands. 

Then joyous firesides and happy homes, 

Learning, wealth, and bliss on every hand ; 

Schools and churches, with gigantic domes, 
Signal God's love and m tje-uic wand 

Auburn, N. Y., March ist, 1882. 



APPENDIX. 



SINCE the first part of this book was printed, 
the following facts of interest have been 
learned, which appear under their respective heads. 

EARLY PIONEERS. 

David Welch came to this town from Fort Ann, 
Washington Co., in 1798, and settled on military lot, 
No. 73, on land which is now the first farm this side 
of Mandana. He was a private in the Revolutionary 
war, was at the battle of Bennington where he was 
wounded in the shoulder. He built the first frame 
barn in 1800. 

Samuel Welch, brother of David, came here in 
1800, from the same place, was born in 1773, was 
27 years old when he came, arrived here in March, 
with two yoke of oxen and a wooden shod sled, his 
son Samuel was then three years old. Came by the 



128 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 

way of Oneida and through Marcellus. He served 
in the war of '12. A carpenter by the name of 
Johnson built a frame barn for him in '04. 

The first Cuykendall that settled in this town 
was Henry. He was born in the town of Minnisink, 
Orange Co.. in 1778, came to Owasco in the spring 
of the year 1800, resided there six years, and in '06, 
moved to Skaneateles, about one and a half miles 
north of Mandana on the farm now occupied by the 
Huff family. Henry's family consisted of nine chil- 
dren, five boys and four girls, of which only two 
children survive. 

Moses Cuykendall was born in the town of Min- 
nisink, came to the town of Sempronius, in '09, 
learned the blacksmith's trade with his uncle, and in 
'15, came into this town and purchased fifty acres of 
land, worked at his trade and on his farm until his 
death in '59. His family consisted of ten children, 
six boys and four girls, of whom all are dead but 
one. 

Jacob W. VanEtten was born in Minnisink, in 
1770, came to the town of Skaneateles, purchased a 



HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 1 29 

farm north of Mandana, and died on his farm in 
1850. He had four children, one son and three 
daughters, of whom all are dead but the youngest 
daughter, who is now residing in Minnesota. 

Eli Clark, the father of Foster Clark, came to 
this village, from Northampton, Mass., in the month 
of Oct., 1800, and came on foot. In looking around 
he was particularly attracted by the situation of the 
land which he finally purchased. After dilligent 
enquiry he ascertained that this land belonged to 
Robert R. Burnett and other parties in the city of 
New York, so he set out on foot to go to the city 
and negotiate a purchase. This resulted in his buy- 
ing from said Burnett and others who were joint 
owners, fifty acres on Military lot No. 35, on the 22d 
of January, '01. He also bought fifty acres addition- 
al adjoining John Thompson's land, and paid six 
dollars per acre for the whole. 

He then went back to his old home in Massachu- 
setts and with his family and effects, started for his 
new home in New York State, in the beginning of 
the month of February, '01 with an ox sled drawn 



130 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 

by two yoke of oxen and one horse. They came 
along very well until the settlement of Whitestown 
was reached, where the ground became bare of snow. 
Mr. Clark then rigged some old wheels on his sled 
and started again, and after many difficulties and 
mishaps finally arrived here in the latter part of. 
March. Foster Clark was at that time six years old 
— he is now in his 87th year, and his wife in her 
79th year. 

Eli Clark's original purchase included a part of 
the Sumner Fuller farm, also the land now owned by 
John Hudson. 

Dr. David Kingsbury practiced medicine here- 
abouts for nearly forty years, residing in Clintonville. 
He was contemporary with Drs. Porter and Hopkins. 
Died March 7, '41, in the 64th year of his age. 
He was the father of Mrs. Schuyler Moore of this 
place. 

Henry Root, was born in Westfield, Hampshire 
county, Mass., Nov, 21, 1788, and died at Hudson, 
Mich., Feb. 25, 1873, aged 85 years. Mr. Root, ac- 
companied by his father, mother and three sisters, 



HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. I 3 r 

(he had seven sisters,) left his native home, Oct. 13, 
04, and came to this place. They came with their 
own conveyance, and was two weeks on the road. 
His father purchased one hundred and fifty acres of 
land, which composed the farm Henry always lived 
upon. Their nearest neighbors were Nathan Leon- 
ard and Bethuel Cole. 

Tunis VanHoughten was among the first, if not 
the very first, supervisors of this town. The Town 
Records show that he was supervisor in '36, in which 
he was succeeded by Chester Clark. Mr. VanHough- 
ten evidently was a man of good education, as some 
very old books here show that he set the pattern by 
which all the records have since been kept. 

Amos Miner was born in Norfolk, Litchfield 
county, Conn., Nov. 10, 1776. He came to this 
part of the country about 1800. 

He brought from his native State much of that 
energy, which is characteristic of the New Englander, 
and combining wifti this he had an inventive turn of 
mind which he soon brought into requisition. In 
the course of a year or two after his arrival here. 



132 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 

while engaged in breaking up some new land, was 
accidentally injured, so much as to be confined in his 
bed, and was kindly cared for by his immediate 
neighbor. While lying in bed in the same apart- 
ment where the women of the household did their 
work, Miner noticed the disadvantage the women 
had to undergo in the use of the spinning wheel. 
Sufficient velocity to spin the thread satisfactorily, 
required Herculean power, yet this power had to be 
furnished by the woman with one hand, while the 
thread was drawn out with the other. Miner lay on 
his bed day after day in the presence of this spinning 
wheel, thinking how he could improve this old-fash- 
ioned device, and before he was well enough to go to 
work, had mentally accomplished his contemplated 
improvement. His first attempt to put it into prac- 
tice was to add to the staff which supported the 
spindle, a wooden arm with an upright attached to it 
to hold a wheel which was separately geared to both 
spindle and to the large wheel by two bands. This 
was a great improvement, but the sale of it was con- 
fined to his immediate vicinity, because every oid 



HISTORY OF SKANEATELE8. 133 

spinning wheel had to be brought to him to have the 
device attached. 

It soon became evident to him that in order to 
meet the growing demands, he must so arrange his 
improvement as to be portable, so that it could be 
attached to any spinning wheel without his personal 
assistance. This he soon accomplished by great per- 
severance in what he called Miner's Accelerating 
Wheel Head, for which he obtained a patent Nov. 
16, '03. About this time Winston Day and others 
were preparing to send a drove of cattle to the Phila- 
delphia market and had engaged Jessie Kellogg to 
take charge of them. Of course, men must be had 
to drive, and when Miner had perfected his model for 
the wheel head, the drove was ready to start, so he 
came to Kellogg and hired out as a driver, and tak- 
ing his model, followed the drove to Philadelphia, 
where he received his wages, and then went to Wash- 
ington. He had no difficulty in obtaining his patent 
right and paid the expenses with the wages he re- 
ceived for driving cattle. 



134 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 

All the separate parts of the wheel head were 
made of hard wood, and in those parts where there 
was the greatest friction, such as the collars or gud- 
geon blocks were made from knots. All these parts 
were turned in a lathe, and it became necessary, to 
have other than foot power to turn his lathes, con- 
sequently, in '04, he purchased 27 acres of land, on 
military lot No. 44. On this land was a stream of 
water which ran from south to north across the 
road. He desired to locate his shop on the north 
side, as his land did not extend on the south side. 
But he had difficulty to get the full height of the 
stream across the road to his own premises, but as 
his perseverance never failed in an emergency, he 
led the water from some distance in a raceway, and 
in crossing the road ran the water into an upright 
basswood hollow log, down to another hollow log 
which ran horizontally across and under the road- 
way, and from this it was forced into another log on 
the north side of the road. 

From the top of this log the water was fed into 
his first experiment of an over-shot wheel, which 



HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 1 35 

was a leather band with buckets on it similar to a 
modern elevator in a flour mill for carrying grain. 
This wheel was not a success and Miner soon con- 
structed an ordinary over-shot wheel and erected a 
small work shop. Here he manufactured sufficient 
wheel heads to supply the demand as well as flails 
and flail caps, fork handles and such other wooden 
utensils as were demanded at those times. 

The site where Miner's factory was, is now the 
farm of George Clark. 

The introduction of Miner's accelerating wheel 
head was a perfect boon and benefaction to all the 
farmer's families as well as the hired help in the 
land. The demand was such in a few years after the 
introduction of this indespensable necessity that 
they were sent in peddlers' wagons to all parts of the 
then settled states from Maine to Georgia. Like 
many other inventors, however, Miner profited little 
by it financially. 

The late Charles Pardee, in a short address to the 
Sunday School scholars at a picnic of the Methodist 
society, held about 1840, near the location of Miner's 



136 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 

old factory, pointed out to the children the little 
brook where the factory was located in which, as a 
little boy he had worked for Miner. 

In '05, Miner sold out his land to Daniel Waller, 
and purchased ten acres on the southwest corner of 
lot No. 68. There is a small brook on this location, 
but whether Miner ever had a factory there, is not 
known. He afterwards established a factory at 
Five Mile Point, where he manufactured wheel heads, 
as one of the firm Miner, Deming & Sessions. 

He soon afterwards sold out his patent right and 
his interest in the factory, and located at a point be- 
tween Skaneateles and Otisco lakes, where he erect- 
ed a grist mill and saw mill. 

In the year '16, he left this place and located at 
what Was then called " Sodom," (now Mottville,) 
and afterward at a place called " The Hollow." 

Before leaving the subject of wheel heads it may 
be of interest to state that when Miner first offered 
them for sale, they were retailed at $3.00 each, then 
$2.50, then $2.00, and kept declining until the in- 
troduction of spinning jacks, when they were sold as 
low as 25cts each, and finally the demand ceased. 



HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 137 

Miner sold out as soon as his patent became 
money making so that he might turn his attention 
to other inventions. 

His next invention was machinery for making 
pails, for which he obtained a patent April 25, 1823. 
One of the greatest obstacles he had to encounter to 
complete his invention was to give the staves a cyl- 
indrical form, but this he overcame by inventing the 
cylinder saw which he used for this purpose. In 
theory it seemed to be just what was wanted, but in 
practice it was partially ineffectual, because it did 
not always saw with the grain of the wood, he found 
that cross grained staves made poor pails. This 
cylinder saw he did not patent but it has been in 
use ever since for many other useful purposes. 

Miner invented machines for making window 
sash and secured letters patent for the same, in July, 
'23. In '25, he obtained another patent for an im- 
provement in making keelers or pans for holding 
milk. 

He afterwards owned a grist mill between Jor- 
dan and Skaneateles, but its exact location or in 



138 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 

what year he operated it, is not known. Miner 
made a further improvement in his window sash ma- 
chines, for which he took out a patent, Nov. 19, '33. 
The celebrated and well known Miner pump was 
patented by him, July 7, 1835. 

The memory of Amos Miner deserves special 
honor from the citizens of Skaneateles, humble as he 
was, always pleasant and agreeable, but he was more 
than that, he possessed an inventive genius hardly 
excelled. 

The superintendent of the patent office at Wash- 
ington in one of his reports said that Amos Miner of 
Skaneateles, N. Y., had invented and patented more 
really useful machines than any other man in the 
United States in those early times. He was poor, 
very poor, and yet he made many rich. 

He once told Howard Delano that people gave 
him more credit than he deserved for an inventive 
genius, he did not consider that he had much of 
that quality, but what he really claimed to have, was 
a perseverance and energy which was never satisfied 
until the desired end was accomplished. He could 



HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 1 39 

not sleep at night while his mind was occupied dur- 
ing the day in any of his mental researches. 

About the close of the year '35, he emigrated 
from New York State, and settled in Morgan county, 
Illinois, and there erected a grist mill and a saw mill 
at a place called Little York in that county. 

Here, surrounded by his children, who came 
with him, with the exception of two, who had previ- 
ously settled in Western Pennsylvania, he passed the 
last years of his life and died in the 66th year of his 
age, June 2, '42. 

Anna Miner, the sister of Amos Miner, was the 
mother of the late Charles Pardee and of Aaron, Al- 
len, &c. She came from Connecticut and settled in 
this village, but whether she came at the same time 
her brother did is not known. 

EARLY INDUSTRIES. 
The following incidents happened about the year 
1806: Nathan Leonard built the house now owned 
by Joab Clift. Bethuel Cole built the house now on 
the Luther Clark place. John Thompson, the first 
settler, built a frame dwelling on his place. The 
Briggs tavern was completed this year. 



140 HISTORY OF SKANEATEEES. 

THE PRESS. 

The following are the names of the Newspapers 
that have been published in this village. 

The Skaneateles Telegraph was first issued July 
28, '29. W. H. Child was the publisher, and D. B. 
Drake editor. The following extracts from the lead- 
ing editorial are of interest : — 

" Though we have labored under many embar- 
rassments of a discouraging nature in the undertak- 
ing, we have at length issued the first number of our 
paper. * * It will be observed that this paper is 
dated several days forward, so that the second num- 
ber will not be issued till the 4th of August. In the 
meantime we trust we shall have a large accession to 
our subscription list. This number will be sent to 
every dwelling in the village. If any should be neg- 
lected it will be unintentional. Those who may 
feel themselves unable or unwilling to subscribe will 
return the first number as soon as convenient." 

The editor then goes on to define his position in 
regard to politics. Gen. Jackson was then President 



HISTORY OF SKANKATKI.KS. I4I 

Advertisements— The Skaneateles Hotel was kept 
by N. D. Caldwell and K. Wallis. -The subscribers 
having refitted and newly furnished this extensive 
establishment, formerly occupied by S. & J. Hall, 
offer their services for the accommodation of the 
public. Its delightful situation on the margin of 
the lake, the beauty of the scenery and the health- 
fulness of the climate give it every natural advan- 
tage." They also flatter themselves that the con" 
venience of the accommodations, the excellencies of 
their table and bar, and the most assiduous attention 
of all belonging to the establishment will render it a 
pleasant retreat for travelers or parties of pleasure. 
N. B. Seats may be taken every day in the dif- 
ferent stages running to Homer, Ithaca, Jordan, 
Syracuse, Buffalo and Albany. 

Dr. Parsell opened an office for the practice of 
medicine at the hotel. John H. Johnson was sher- 
iff and Joseph Dascomb was his deputy. 

The following marriage notices are also found : 
July 6, 1829, Mr. Holland W. Chadwick was 
married to Miss Matilda Earll. 



I4 2 HISTORY OF SKANEATELES. 

July 2d, Joseph S. Mott to Miss Mary Thorne 
daughter of Nicholas Thorne. 

In Elbridge, July 4 th, E. D. Wheadon to Miss 

Sarah Marvin. 

The Skaneateles Weekly Democrat, was com- 
menced in 1846, by Wm. Beauchamp. It was sub- 
sequently issued by W. H. Jewett, Philo Rust and 
Jonathan Keeney. In '49, it Passed into the hands 
of Harrison B. Dodge, who has conducted it ever 
since. It is independent in politics and is one of 
the best family papers in the county. 

The Naval Bulletin was issued from the Democrat 
office, a short time in '53. 

The Minerva, was a short time published by W. 
H. Beauchamp in '44, but finally merged into the 

Democrat. 

The Juvenile Repository, was also published here 
in '58, by Luther Pratt. In 40 it was removed to 
New York, and soon after discontinued. 

Skaneateles Free Press, was commenced in '75, b Y 
John C. Stephenson. It is one of the spiciest sheets 
published in Central New York. Its circulation is 
about 1,200. 







V*' ° " ° * "^ 



5>^ 

^ c ° " ° * <$ 











•w 















& 









<0 -r. 









^ + 



*°o 









V 



















«* «. • • • . «■>. 






